Geneva: In a swift rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement linking Acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to autism, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated today that no conclusive scientific evidence supports such a connection. The WHO’s position aligns with a chorus of international health authorities rejecting the claim, which experts say could endanger pregnant women by discouraging a proven safe pain reliever (Acetaminophen is commonly known as Paracetamol in India and many other countries).
Trump, flanked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., declared on Monday that the FDA would update labeling to warn against acetaminophen’s use in pregnancy due to an alleged “very increased risk” of autism in children. He urged women to “fight like hell” to avoid it, citing studies from Harvard and Mount Sinai that suggest a possible association. The White House framed the move as “historic progress” in addressing rising autism rates, now at 1 in 31 U.S. children per CDC data.
However, the WHO emphasized that extensive research over the past decade, including large-scale studies, has found no consistent causal link. “Globally, nearly 62 million people (1 in 127) have autism spectrum disorder… the exact causes of autism have not been established, and it is understood there are multiple factors that can be involved,” the organization said in a statement. It advised pregnant women to consult doctors and use medications cautiously, especially in the first trimester, but stressed acetaminophen remains a first-line option for pain and fever when needed.
The timing of the WHO’s response appears directly tied to Trump’s remarks, coming just two days after his White House press conference. Other global bodies echoed the sentiment: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) declared, “Available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism,” reaffirming its guidance for use as necessary. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency similarly urged no changes to standard advice, warning that untreated fever poses greater risks like miscarriage or birth defects.
Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, “strongly disagreed” with the claims, stating the science “clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism” and expressing concern over potential confusion for expectant mothers. The FDA’s own letter to doctors was more measured, noting an “association” in some studies but explicitly stating “a causal relationship has not been established.”
Trump’s comments also reignited debunked theories tying vaccines to autism, with him suggesting delays in childhood shots. The WHO reiterated that “a robust, extensive evidence base exists showing childhood vaccines do not cause autism,” citing large studies from multiple countries and discredited 1990s research. Merck, a vaccine maker, called the vaccine-autism link “inconsistent with extensive scientific studies.”
Autism researchers, like Boston University’s Helen Tager-Flusberg, decried the rhetoric as a “very significant distortion” that could stigmatize parents and disrupt care. “Mothers of autistic children [will be] so fearful that this is what they did to cause their child’s autism, which is absolutely not the case,” she told NPR.
The WHO’s statement arrives ahead of the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and mental health tomorrow, where autism will be discussed. It calls for more research into causes and better support for autistic individuals, pledging collaboration with autistic-led organizations to combat stigma.
On X (formerly Twitter), reactions ranged from satirical jabs at the claims to defenses citing the studies Trump referenced, with users debating the science in real-time. One post mocked pregnant Democrat “ingesting unnecessary amounts of Tylenol” in protest, while another highlighted opposition from experts labelling Trump and Kennedy “incompetent demagogues who despise science.”
As the debate intensifies, health experts worldwide stress evidence-based guidance over political announcements, underscoring acetaminophen’s role in safely managing pregnancy risks.
