President Donald Trump held a press conference on Monday in which he claimed that the use of acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol) in pregnancy may be linked to autism ― although medical experts overwhelmingly stress there is very little scientific evidence that supports this statement.
“Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it. It’s not good,” Trump said. He announced that the Food and Drug Administration will be “strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary.”
The president later admitted that his advice on the drug was coming from his own personal feelings. “I’m just making these statements from me,” he said. “I’m not making them from these doctors, because when they talk about, you know, different results, different studies, I talk about a lot of common sense. And they have that, too. They have that too, a lot.”
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the Trump administration “does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health” and “will not be deterred in these efforts as we know millions across America are grateful.”
Professional medical organizations, from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to the American Psychiatric Association, refuted Trump’s allegations on social media, asserting that there is “no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism” and “a strong base of evidence shows that acetaminophen, when taken as directed, is safe for use during pregnancy.”
