"No Link": US Epidemiologist Debunks Trump's Claim On Tylenol, Autism

US Epidemiologist Challenges Trump's Claims About Tylenol and Autism

Eric Feigl-Ding emphasized that no other country besides the US is supporting this controversial theory

US President Donald Trump revived previously debunked theories about vaccines and autism on Monday, claiming that pregnant women should avoid taking Tylenol, a widely used pain reliever in the United States containing acetaminophen (known as paracetamol outside the US).

During a televised announcement alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump stated that the Food and Drug Administration would immediately begin advising physicians to "strongly recommend that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary."

Trump's announcement, which appeared to rely on existing studies rather than new research, prompted strong reactions from medical professionals and health experts. Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding warned that such statements could discourage women from using medication to reduce fever during pregnancy, which could lead to serious consequences.

"I consistently remind people that maternal fever during pregnancy is extremely dangerous. It increases miscarriage risk and raises the likelihood of fetal birth defects. A mother absolutely should avoid fever. The danger is significantly greater for her... My concern is that after hearing this misinformation, someone might refuse fever-reducing medication, resulting in increased rates of miscarriage and birth defects," Feigl-Ding explained.

He emphasized that according to the best available scientific evidence, "there is no link" between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism in children.

The epidemiologist highlighted a comprehensive Swedish study involving 2.5 million children, "which is 10 to 100 times larger than any previous research," that found no increased risk of autism associated with maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.

Describing the US health department as an "upside-down dystopian universe" and referring to RFK Jr as the "king of anti-vax," Feigl-Ding noted that this theory isn't endorsed by any other country.

"It follows the same pattern. Trump previously made outlandish claims about drinking bleach, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and other ineffective COVID treatments. Now he's promoting an unscientific claim that no medical association or obstetrics-gynecologist in the United States supports," he said.

"This is our current reality. The US health department has become an upside-down dystopian universe where concepts are completely reversed. Anti-vaccine proponents now control the health department and are spreading misinformation about vaccines, Tylenol, and paracetamol."

Earlier, Feigl-Ding shared research on X regarding acetaminophen use during pregnancy and children's risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. The study's sibling control analyses found no evidence linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy with autism.

"An initial unadjusted analysis showed only a preliminary 5 percent risk, but once adjusted for family factors using sibling controls (who didn't develop autism), even this minimal 5 percent risk completely disappeared to 0 percent. (Interesting fact: I previously worked in drug safety epidemiology and have been a whistleblower against pharmaceutical companies when their drugs posed dangers—so I understand drug safety data)," he wrote on X.

Monday's announcement represents the latest example of how Kennedy and Trump have attempted to overturn established health guidance, sometimes using selectively chosen evidence. Trump has a history of promoting unfounded medical theories. The White House presented no new evidence to justify the change, though the FDA acknowledged uncertainty in its advisory to doctors.

"To clarify, while many studies have described an association between acetaminophen and autism, a causal relationship has not been established, and contradictory studies exist in scientific literature," the FDA stated in its advisory.