No link can be established between the intake of paracetamol during pregnancy and the emergence of autism in children, concludes an extensive study published in the British journal BMJ this Monday (10th).
This publication refutes the statements of US President Donald Trump, which guaranteed the existence of a link between paracetamol and autism, without presenting scientific evidence.
“Currently available data are insufficient to confirm an association between in utero acetaminophen exposure and autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood,” the study concluded.
The scientific community has condemned President Trump’s comments urging pregnant women not to take paracetamol. The drug, also known by the brand names Panadol and Tylenol, is the painkiller of choice for pregnant women, unlike aspirin and ibuprofen, which have proven risks to the fetus.
Following President Trump’s comments, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed there is no proven link between the drug and autism. A study published this Monday confirms this consensus.
Although the BMJ article is not based on new research, it provides the most complete and accurate overview to date of the current state of knowledge on the subject. This is an “umbrella review”, a compilation of other studies that have attempted to inventory knowledge on the subject.
The authors of the study published in BMJ say there are some studies suggesting a possible link between paracetamol and autism, but they are of “low” or “very low” quality. In most cases, we do not take sufficient precautions to rule out other factors, such as genetic predisposition or maternal health problems.
Therefore, these studies do not provide much insight into the true mechanisms of cause and effect. These do not allow to distinguish what is happening from what is directly due to the use of paracetamol or, for example, from the medical condition that led the future mother to be treated for fever and pain.
This observation specifically references a study published in the journal Environmental Health in 2025 and frequently cited by the Trump administration. The study found a correlation between maternal paracetamol intake and autism spectrum disorder in children, but at the same time cautioned that it was not possible to conclude the existence of a causal mechanism. Several experts praised the BMJ study.
“This is based on a high-quality methodology that is backed up by what experts have repeated around the world,” Dimitrios Sassiakos, professor of obstetrics at University College London, said in comments to the UK Science Media Centre.
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