Overview

• After reviewing recent studies, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said there is no causal evidence that prenatal acetaminophen exposure leads to neurodevelopmental disorders.
• ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine hold similar positions, advising acetaminophen for fever or pain in pregnancy when medically needed at recommended doses for the shortest duration.
• Clinicians highlighted that untreated maternal fever carries documented risks, including miscarriage, birth defects and preterm birth, which can outweigh theoretical concerns about the medication.
• The latest coverage follows a Wall Street Journal report that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to release a document linking Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism, a claim experts say remains unproven and requires formal confirmation.
• Experts pointed to methodological limits and familial confounding, noting a large 2024 Swedish sibling study in which initial associations with autism and ADHD disappeared when comparing siblings.