Overview

• At a White House event on autism, the president told pregnant women not to take paracetamol and cited a rumor about low autism rates in Cuba where he claimed the drug is scarce.
• Specialists interviewed by AFP called the claims dangerous and inaccurate, warning the message could make women feel guilty or forgo care.
• A recent umbrella review in BMC Environmental Health reported an association signal, but a large 2024 JAMA study of 2.5 million Swedish children found no link to autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
• Health authorities including France’s CRAT say paracetamol can be used during pregnancy when needed at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time, noting NSAIDs are contraindicated late in pregnancy.
• Researchers highlight confounding factors and inconsistent methods in studies, as the administration expands autism research, questions vaccines, funds new projects, and authorizes folinic acid use that scientists say remains preliminary.