Expert perspectives from two OB/GYNs and a review of current research on whether Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to autism risk.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to release a report on the causes of autism, with particular attention to acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and its use during pregnancy.
In anticipation of this report, it is important for the public to understand physicians’ interpretation of current research and their clinical recommendations.Does Any Current Research Prove Acetaminophen Causes Autism?
It’s crucial to recognize that causation differs from association, correlation or link, terms often used in headlines that may create confusion. Association, correlation, or link means that two events happen together but may not be related. Causation means one event directly causes another. At this time, no studies show acetaminophen causes autism.
“There are studies that have linked the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy with neurodevelopmental disorders, although there are conflicting studies about this association,” says board certified obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Franziska Haydanek.
A 2024 JAMA study did not demonstrate association with acetaminophen and autism for pregnant patients. However, a 2025 study describes an association between Tylenol use and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), like autism, in 27 of the 46 studies they reviewed.
Dr. Shannon Clark, obstetrician-gynecologist and professor at UTMB-Galveston explains that, for the 2024 JAMA study, “when they looked at numerous different pain relievers in pregnancy, all were associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, but the associations went away in the sibling control analysis. This lends additional evidence to a genetic cause for NDDs.
