Overview

• President Trump urged pregnant women to limit acetaminophen after citing a possible autism link, while an FDA letter said use in pregnancy may be associated with autism but causation is unproven and acetaminophen remains the safest over‑the‑counter option.
• Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, clarified that physicians will still recommend acetaminophen for fevers in pregnancy and advised against casual, unsupervised use.
• Major medical groups and health officials, including ACOG leaders and state public health authorities, reiterated that treating fever and significant pain in pregnancy is important and that ibuprofen and aspirin carry known risks.
• Scientific findings remain mixed, with some reviews reporting associations between prenatal acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental outcomes and higher‑quality sibling‑controlled analyses and dose‑response checks weakening causal claims.
• Public response has split sharply, with autistic advocates condemning the messaging as stigmatizing, viral videos showing people taking Tylenol in protest, and manufacturer Kenvue asserting that sound science shows acetaminophen does not cause autism.