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Possible negative neurodevelopmental effects of Tylenol
Joseph Hickey
Sep 23, 2025
US President Donald Trump and Health Secretary RFK Jr. announced yesterday that the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) would begin warning pregnant women of potential health risks from taking Tylenol (acetaminophen), including the possibility that exposing the fetus to the drug could increase the risk of autism.
Mainstream media sources were typically over-the-top apoplectic in response, painting Trump and Kennedy as irresponsible threats to public health.
However, such knee-jerk opposition to the warning-label update for Tylenol is not warranted, given that there is evidence in the scientific literature providing cause for concern about possible negative neurodevelopmental effects of Tylenol.
For example:
Ji et al., “Association of Cord Plasma Biomarkers of In Utero Acetaminophen Exposure With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Childhood”, JAMA Psychiatry (2020):
Conclusions and relevance:
Cord biomarkers of fetal exposure to acetaminophen were associated with significantly increased risk of childhood ADHD and ASD in a dose-response fashion. Our findings support previous studies regarding the association between prenatal and perinatal acetaminophen exposure and childhood neurodevelopmental risk and warrant additional investigations.
Bauer et al., “Paracetamol use during pregnancy - a call for precautionary action”, Nat Rev Endocrinol (2021):
We recommend that pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to: forego [acetaminophen] unless its use is medically indicated; consult with a physician or pharmacist if they are uncertain whether use is indicated and before using on a long-term basis; and minimize exposure by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.
Most recently, in August 2025, the Dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health co-authored a review paper in the journal BMC Environmental Health with the following strong conclusion (from the Abstract):
Results
We identified 46 studies for inclusion in our analysis. Of these, 27 studies reported positive associations (significant links to NDDs), 9 showed null associations (no significant link), and 4 indicated negative associations (protective effects). Higher-quality studies were more likely to show positive associations. Overall, the majority of the studies reported positive associations of prenatal acetaminophen use with ADHD, ASD, or NDDs in offspring, with risk-of-bias and strength-of-evidence ratings informing the overall synthesis.
Conclusions
Our analyses using the Navigation Guide thus support evidence consistent with an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of NDDs. Appropriate and immediate steps should be taken to advise pregnant women to limit acetaminophen consumption to protect their offspring’s neurodevelopment.
There are some interesting hypotheses about the possible role of acetaminophen in the “autism epidemic”. Continues at https://substack.com/home/post/p-174311456
Please pass this on
Yesterday’s presidential announcement could influence a substantial number of women to consider avoiding Tylenol during pregnancy and refraining from allowing it to be given to their infants and young children. TY!
Without prejudice and without recourse
Doreen Agostino
Our Greater Destiny Blog
autism