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President Donald Trump has urged pregnant girls to keep away from taking Tylenol, pointing to an unproven declare that hyperlinks the painkiller to autism.
Talking from the Oval Workplace with Well being Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump claimed that acetaminophen, the principle ingredient in Tylenol – also called paracetamol in most components of the world – was “no good” and will solely be utilized in being pregnant when there’s a excessive fever.
He then outlined steps his administration would take to limit the usage of the drug throughout being pregnant, in feedback laced with unproven – and, in some circumstances, false – claims.
Here’s what he mentioned, and what the details say, in regards to the drug, autism and whether or not Cuba, as Trump claimed at one level, doesn’t have autism.
What did Trump announce?
Trump opened the occasion by calling autism a “horrible, horrible disaster”.
“The meteoric rise in autism is among the many most alarming public well being developments in historical past. There’s by no means been something like this,” Trump mentioned, although consultants level out that the information on autism solely captures elevated diagnoses – not essentially an increase within the incidence of autism itself.
Trump then laid out his administration’s plans to sort out the “disaster”.
“First, efficient instantly, the FDA shall be notifying physicians that the usage of a – properly, let’s see how we are saying that acetaminophen – is that OK? Which is mainly generally often known as Tylenol throughout being pregnant, could be related to a really elevated danger of autism,” he mentioned.
He went on to warn that Tylenol use throughout being pregnant needs to be prevented except completely needed.
“So taking Tylenol is just not good. All proper. I’ll say it. It’s not good. Because of this, they’re strongly recommending that girls restrict Tylenol use throughout being pregnant except medically needed. That’s, as an illustration, in circumstances of extraordinarily excessive fever, that you just really feel you’ll be able to’t powerful it out. You possibly can’t do it. I suppose there’s that.”
Trump then shifted to his broader considerations about vaccines, arguing in opposition to mixture pictures – just like the MMR vaccine in opposition to measles, mumps and rubella – although they’ve been confirmed to be protected in a number of rounds of analysis.
He additionally questioned giving newborns the hepatitis B vaccine.
“Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no purpose to provide a child that’s virtually simply born, hepatitis B. So I’d say, wait until the child is 12 years previous and shaped and take hepatitis B.”
Lastly, Trump repeated a declare that international locations with out Tylenol, like Cuba, have little or no autism – framing it as proof.
“I imply, there’s a hearsay, and I don’t know if it’s so or not, that Cuba, they don’t have Tylenol as a result of they don’t have the cash for Tylenol. They usually have nearly no autism, OK. Inform me about that one.”
President Donald J. Trump, @SecKennedy, @DrOzCMS, @NIHDirector_Jay, & @DrMakaryFDA announce the Autism Motion Plan.
Make America Wholesome Once more. pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) September 22, 2025
As with Trump’s different claims on the occasion, his assertion about Cuba doesn’t stand as much as scrutiny – as we’ll get to in a bit.
However first …
What’s autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD), is a developmental situation that’s skilled by individuals in many various methods. In the US, it’s recognised as a type of neurodivergence and incapacity below the People with Disabilities Act. In line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), autism can form how somebody communicates, learns, and interacts with the world, usually in methods which might be merely totally different from most individuals.
Kids diagnosed with autism may have difficulties with social, emotional and communication expertise. This could become traits that may have an effect on interplay with others and problem in studying.
What causes autism?
Autism has been linked to a fancy mixture of genetic and developmental components, and it appears to be like totally different for each particular person. Scientists have recognized a whole bunch of genes that may play a task, both handed down from dad and mom or showing as new mutations throughout early mind growth.
In line with the US Nationwide Institute of Environmental Well being Sciences, sure environmental influences might enhance autism danger, together with:
- Superior parental age
- Prenatal publicity to air air pollution or sure pesticides
- Maternal weight problems, diabetes or immune system problems
- Excessive prematurity or very low delivery weight
- Beginning issues resulting in intervals of oxygen deprivation to the child’s mind.
Is autism on the rise within the US?
At first look, that’s what the numbers would counsel.
Figures from the CDC present that in 2022, 1 in 31 eight-year-old kids had been recognized with autism within the US, up from 1 in 149 in 2000.
In line with the CDC, the situation can also be about 3 times extra frequent in boys than in women.
Globally, estimates differ. The World Well being Group (WHO) reported in 2021 that about 1 in 127 individuals worldwide had been residing with autism. Equally, a 2022 evaluate of 71 research discovered a mean prevalence of about 1 %.
These numbers have been cited by some, like supporters of US Well being Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, to argue that the US faces a very acute problem with autism, and have been used to justify crackdowns on medication like Tylenol.
However consultants warn that the information may not essentially agree with these assertions and the measures that the Trump administration is taking.
Why are the numbers going up?
First, say consultants, evaluating autism charges throughout international locations is problematic due to variations in diagnostic practices, consciousness and entry to healthcare – all of which have an effect on how prevalence is measured and reported.
The elevated numbers within the US, they level out, solely reveal a pointy rise in diagnoses – not essentially an increase within the incidence of autism itself.
In line with consultants, there are two principal components behind the rise in autism diagnoses. First, the definition of autism has broadened as scientists have recognised its huge spectrum of traits and signs. This has led to up to date diagnostic standards and higher screening instruments.
On the identical time, rising consciousness has meant that extra dad and mom are in search of evaluations.
What about acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen (also called paracetamol) is without doubt one of the most generally used over-the-counter ache relievers and fever reducers.
For more than a decade, researchers have studied whether or not acetaminophen use throughout being pregnant is linked to developmental problems. Findings have been combined: Some research reported associations with autism, whereas a 2025 Mount Sinai evaluate urged proof for broader neurodevelopmental dangers.
However affiliation is just not the identical as causation. The most important and most rigorous examine so far, printed in 2024, discovered no hyperlink between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism, ADHD, or different studying or developmental problems. Consultants notice that the best-quality research to this point present no proof of hurt from acetaminophen.
In line with the Autism Science Basis, claims of a connection stay “restricted, conflicting, and inconsistent”.
“The massive reveal about autism was a complete bust filled with misinformation,” Arthur L Caplan, an American ethicist and professor of bioethics on the NYU Grossman College of Drugs, informed Al Jazeera.
“There is no such thing as a information to point out Tylenol causes autism and plenty of information to point out that fever in pregnant girls harms the fetus,” he added.
To make sure, even and not using a Tylenol-autism hyperlink, most medical doctors “will most likely inform pregnant girls they need to at all times watch out about remedy”, Catherine Lord, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA who specialises in autism, informed Al Jazeera.
However these medical doctors will doubtless additionally warning girls to not keep away from taking medicines after they have a fever throughout being pregnant, she mentioned. “Additionally they want to understand that having a excessive fever or being in ache is just not good for a rising child, both, so they need to seek the advice of their physician,” she added.
Have there been different claims about what causes autism?
Through the years, autism has been wrongly linked to many supposed causes. Probably the most infamous was the false vaccine-autism hyperlink from a 1998 examine, now totally debunked. That examine claimed an affiliation between the MMR vaccine – the identical one which Trump focused on Monday – and autism. The Lancet, the extremely revered British journal that printed that examine, retracted it 12 years later, in 2010.
Different debated components embody prenatal drugs or antidepressants, environmental toxins, and eating regimen, however the proof is weak or inconsistent. Earlier, the discredited “fridge mom” idea blamed dad and mom who had been perceived to lack enough emotional heat with their kids for greater dangers of autism.
And eventually, is it true, as Trump claims, that autism doesn’t exist in Cuba?
It’s unfaithful – and if something, Cuba undercuts Trump’s argument.
Cuba formally recognises autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD). There are a number of specialised faculties and paediatric clinics that present prognosis and remedy for kids with autism.
In Cuba, acetaminophen is commonly known as paracetamol and is bought in authorities pharmacies. In different phrases, it is extremely a lot out there and used as in different components of the world.
In line with a 2022 examine, Cuba had an autism incidence of about 2 to 4 per 10,000 kids in some settings. Whereas analysis on autism diagnoses in Cuba is rather more restricted than within the US, the information from the 2022 examine exhibits a far decrease price of recognised circumstances than within the US – regardless of the presence of acetaminophen.
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