Overview
- Following the announcement, the FDA sent letters to clinicians and the CDC updated web guidance, cautioning about associations but stating a causal link has not been established and discussing labeling changes.
- International regulators and medical groups — including the EMA, WHO, UK agencies, ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine — reaffirmed that acetaminophen remains an important option in pregnancy when used as directed, noting the risks of untreated fever.
- Clinicians report an influx of worried patients, and they are reassuring them that guidance has not changed and that acetaminophen is still recommended when needed for pain or fever during pregnancy.
- A large 2024 JAMA study of nearly 2.5 million Swedish births using sibling comparisons found no causal association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
- Political fallout has widened as GOP leaders John Thune and Bill Cassidy call for transparency and science-based decisions, Florida’s surgeon general signals likely alignment with the White House, Obama criticizes the claims, and Tylenol maker Kenvue disputes any link as reports spotlight RFK Jr.’s role in shaping the message.