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• The most rigorous review to date found that there is no evidence that paracetamol (Tylenol) use in pregnancy increases the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities.
• This contradicts the information the Trump administration previously suggested around the safety of Tylenol use during pregnancy.
• Experts recommend discussing safe options for pain relief with their doctor. 

A new gold-standard systematic review and meta-analysis found that there is no evidence to suggest that the use of paracetamol (Tylenol) during pregnancy increases the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities. 

The research is the latest in a series of large-scale reviews to confirm that paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is not linked to developmental disorders in offspring.

The results were recently published on January 16 in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health. 

In September 2025, the Trump administration suggested that taking Tylenol during pregnancy may raise the risk of autism in children.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then initiated label changes on Tylenol to include a mention of the possible association between the medication and the risk of autism and ADHD. 

Following the announcement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others nationwide filed lawsuits against the pharmaceutical industry, alleging that manufacturers misled consumers about the potential risks of Tylenol use during pregnancy.

“The exaggerated hype and misrepresentation about acetaminophen [Tylenol] increasing the risk of autism and ADHD during pregnancy has been exploited, harmful to pregnant women, and causing unnecessary confusion,” Sherry Ross, MD, board certified OB-GYN and Women’s Health Expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told Healthline. Ross wasn’t involved in the review.

Despite the findings of the latest review, federal health officials upheld their position on the possible risks.

In a statement shared with Healthline, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that experts have expressed concern about the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.

HHS cited Andrea Baccarelli, MD, the Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, who said, “There is a causal relationship between prenatal acetaminophen use and the [neurodevelopmental disorders] NDDs of ADHD and ASD and the related symptomology.”

Here’s what you need to know about the current evidence on acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

No causal link between paracetamol and autism

The Lancet review examined 43 existing studies that had the highest quality and most rigorous research methods.

These studies compared pregnancies where the individual had taken paracetamol (Tylenol) to pregnancies where the individual had not taken the medication. 

They then pooled the results of sibling-comparison studies in which siblings born to the same mother were compared: one pregnancy included paracetamol exposure, and the other didn’t. This helped control for genetics, family environment, and long-term parental characteristics that traditional studies have not been able to account for. 

The sibling-comparison studies included 262,852 children assessed for autism, 335,255 for ADHD, and 406,681 for intellectual disability. It was confirmed that taking paracetamol in pregnancy was not linked to childhood autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability when compared to pregnancies with no paracetamol exposure. 

“Our findings suggest that previously reported links are likely to be explained by genetic predisposition or other maternal factors such as fever or underlying pain, rather than a direct effect of the paracetamol itself,” Asma Khalil, professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London and Consultant Obstetrician, who led the study, said in a press release.

“The message is clear — paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided,” she added. 

Ross agreed. “Tylenol is commonly used to treat fever, headache, and pain during pregnancy,” she said.

“It is safe to use in pregnancy for these common and potentially dangerous conditions.  These frequent complaints during pregnancy are safely treated using Tylenol with minimal risks. The risks of untreated fevers, headaches, and pain during pregnancy may be dangerous for mother and baby and do outweigh the unsupported risks of using Tylenol to treat these harmful symptoms,” Ross continued.

Federal health officials, however, disagreed with the study findings. HHS told Healthline that the authors engineered a finding rather than evaluating causality.

Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism

An umbrella review of systematic reviews published in November 2025 also found that individuals can safely take acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy to treat fever and pain. 

The researchers of this review noted that previous studies, which suggested a slight association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism and ADHD, were flawed. 

“Existing evidence does not clearly link maternal [Tylenol] use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in offspring,” the researchers wrote.

This review was published just months after the U.S. government announcement regarding the risk of using Tylenol during pregnancy and showed there was not sufficient evidence to support this announcement. 

No link between vaccines and autism

A large study of 1.2 million children published in July 2025 found no compelling evidence to suggest a link between childhood vaccines and autism or other chronic health conditions. 

This Danish study provides reassuring, compelling evidence on the safety of aluminum in vaccines. 

Experts who were not affiliated with the research told Healthline that there have been multitudes of reputable studies on vaccine safety in recent decades, and none have found a definitive link to autism.

“The scientific community has researched this very thoroughly, and there’s no evidence that childhood vaccines cause autism,” said Danelle Fisher, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. Fisher wasn’t involved in the reviews.

Experts reaffirm the importance of children receiving the recommended vaccination schedule to prevent the spread of potentially fatal illnesses, such as measles.

The growing measles outbreak that began in West Texas has been linked to low vaccination rates. 

What actually causes autism? 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences. However, the exact cause is still currently unknown. 

The exact cause(s) of autism is still to be determined,” Ross said. “Credible medical studies suggest autism is thought to be due to genetic and environmental factors. What is known about the cause of autism is [that] it results from a combination of influences.” 

“Autism has a strong genetic influence based on mutations of certain genes that impact brain development.  Abnormal wiring of the brain in the early development of the baby is also thought to contribute to the case of autism. Maternal infections, exposure to toxins, and pregnancy and delivery complications are potential environmental factors,” Ross continued.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a growing area of research focuses on the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. 

Some genetic factors that may influence the development and diagnosis of ASD include: 

• certain genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome, fragile X, and Rett syndrome
• a sibling or twin with autism
• older parents

While progress has been made in understanding environmental factors, they alone are unlikely to cause ASD. Rather, they may be more likely to increase the risk of development when combined with genetic factors.

Environmental factors may include: 

• advanced parental age at the time of conception
• prenatal exposure to certain pesticides and air pollution
• maternal obesity, diabetes, or immune system disorders
• extreme prematurity or very low birth weight
• any difficulty during birth that may lead to periods of oxygen deprivation in the baby’s brain

Research into the exact causes of ASD is ongoing.