White House autism-Tylenol link leads to confusion

President Donald Trump’s announcement advising Americans against taking acetaminophen during pregnancy to avoid the chance of autism was met with pushback from some lawmakers, including a key GOP health figure.

During a news briefing on Sept. 22, Trump’s message to those who are pregnant was clear: “Don’t take Tylenol.”

But Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in an appearance on the podcast “Mornings with Brian Haldane,” advised patients to discuss the matter with their OB-GYN, saying they should do that with all medications taken during pregnancy.

“I was talking to a woman. She goes, ‘Oh, this is great. Two men telling me not to take the only thing I can take when my back’s hurting and I’m pregnant, right?'” Cassidy said. “She was just expressing her frustration.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, as well as other federal health officials, were united on the issue alongside Trump.

But Cassidy, a gastroenterologist by training who is facing a high-stakes reelection in 2026, questioned Trump’s assertions. He emphasized that studies that the administration has cited show only an association between the medication and autism rather than causality.

Cassidy pointed to a study carried out in Sweden that examined 2 million people, comparing those who were exposed to acetaminophen in utero with their siblings who were not.

“That’s the highest quality that’s out there, and that found no association whatsoever,” Cassidy said of the research, published in 2024.

The administration cites a study authored by Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which found an association between acetaminophen and the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders that was strongest when it was taken for four weeks or longer.

In a statement, Baccarelli said that based on the available research, it makes sense to use caution when deciding whether to take acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially for heavy or prolonged use.

“At the same time, as the only approved medication for pain and fever reduction during pregnancy, acetaminophen remains an important tool for pregnant patients and their physicians,” he said. “High fever can pose risks to both the mother and the fetus, including neural tube defects and preterm birth.”

“Ask your doctor!”

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., an OB-GYN by training who also serves on the HELP Committee, welcomed Trump’s announcement, including the administration’s plans to fund more studies on the topic through the National Institutes of Health.

But his advice was not as definitive as Trump’s.

“Some research links CHRONIC acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to increased autism risk,” Marshall wrote on X. “While evidence is inconclusive, for all medications, use the shortest duration and minimal dose necessary. Ask your doctor!”

Other GOP health care workers in Congress praised the decision.

“For years, autism rates climbed while Washington stayed silent,” Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., a pharmacist by training, said on X. “Now, President Trump (@POTUS) and @SecKennedy are stepping in and expanding support, funding research, and putting families first. Real action is finally here for those who truly need it.”

“The Trump Administration is boldly tackling our nation’s rising autism rates,” Georgia GOP Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, also a pharmacist, wrote on X. “Transparency and empowering patients with more information about their health are how we Make America Healthy Again.”

Some Democrats, meanwhile, worry that medical advice based on inconclusive evidence will shame women who have taken acetaminophen during pregnancy or deter them from using it even in cases where it would be necessary.

“Firing scientists and researchers and then telling pregnant women to ‘tough it out’ during dangerous health conditions because of unproven theories is not how we will find the cause of autism,” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., wrote on X.

“The Administration should be doubling down on the progress we have made researching the complicated causes of autism—instead, they continue to ask questions and then refuse to listen to the answers while also spreading unproven theories.”

Even some of the administration’s own messaging has caveats.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary issued a statement that the agency will change the label for acetaminophen to note an increased chance of autism. The statement concluded on a cautionary note.

“It is important to note that while an association between acetaminophen and neurological conditions has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature,” it said.

“It is also noted that acetaminophen is the only over-the-counter drug approved for use to treat fevers during pregnancy, and high fevers in pregnant women can pose a risk to their children. Additionally, aspirin and ibuprofen have well-documented adverse impacts on the fetus.”

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