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European and global health authorities have firmly dismissed recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a link between paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and autism in children. In a statement issued Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reaffirmed that there is no credible scientific evidence supporting such a connection.
The EMA emphasized that paracetamol remains a safe and effective option for managing pain and fever during pregnancy when used at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration necessary.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticized recent claims linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism, highlighting that the evidence remains inconsistent and lacks replication. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic emphasized that while some studies have suggested a possible association, these findings do not establish a causal relationship.
In contrast, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated a process to update the labeling of acetaminophen products to reflect emerging evidence suggesting a potential association with neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD. However, the FDA has also clarified that a causal relationship has not been established, and the decision to use paracetamol during pregnancy remains a matter for individual healthcare providers and patients to discuss.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate HELP Committee, publicly disagreed with the Trump administration's recent claim that acetaminophen use during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of autism. Cassidy stated that the "preponderance of evidence" does not support this link and urged the administration to release any data supporting their advisory.
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