WHO, ACOG and Brazil Reject U.S. Warning on Paracetamol in Pregnancy

Overview

• On Monday, President Donald Trump said the White House would advise doctors not to prescribe paracetamol to pregnant women, asserting it increases autism risk.
• The World Health Organization, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Brazil’s Health Ministry and Anvisa said there is no conclusive evidence for such a link and urged patients to follow professional guidance.
• A JAMA study analyzing roughly 2.4 million Swedish births using sibling comparisons found no association between prenatal paracetamol exposure and later autism diagnoses.
• Following the U.S. announcement, Google reported Brazil searches for “Tylenol” rose about 270% and for “paracetamol” about 80%, with autism queries up 50%.
• Obstetrics specialists reiterated that paracetamol remains an accepted option for pain and fever in pregnancy under medical supervision, whereas ibuprofen is generally discouraged during gestation.