BALTIMORE — The Trump administration has claimed that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, causes autism when taken during pregnancy, but medical experts say the research doesn't support a direct causal link.
President Donald Trump made the assertion during a recent announcement, stating that taking Tylenol during pregnancy "can be associated with a very increased risk of autism."
"Taking Tylenol is not good," Trump said.
WATCH: Trump administration claims acetaminophen causes autism
However, the study the White House is citing to support this claim shows only a correlation, not causation, and explicitly states that further research is needed to determine if acetaminophen directly causes autism.
Harper Johnston, a licensed psychologist at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital with more than three decades of autism research experience, explained the difference between correlation and causation in this context.
"What that could be is that mothers who are taking acetaminophen have certain pre-existing medical conditions. It could be anything from chronic pain to immune system problems, and they're more likely to take acetaminophen. And then their preexisting condition is the thing that is causing an immune response against the fetal brain development," Johnston said.
Johnston emphasized that the scientific understanding of autism's causes remains incomplete.
"It's important for us to realize that we don't know the answer. There is not a silver bullet and that, you know, in 10 years' time, 20 years' time, what we're looking at is probably multiple different diagnoses that have causes that we are more aware of, that are more controlled and predictable, but we're not there yet," Johnston said.
The announcement has created anxiety among expectant mothers who already navigate complex medical decisions during pregnancy. New mother Leana Frick highlighted the challenges pregnant women face when evaluating risks.
"There is almost nothing in pregnancy that is true for everyone or for every baby. A lot of what I worried about was the amount of risk, right, because you can't also just only live your life as a pregnant person, you're also a person," Frick said.
The Autism Society of Maryland has received numerous calls and emails from concerned parents following the administration's announcement. Executive Director Melissa Rosenberg described the community's reaction.
"I think it's been a very emotional day in the wake of the announcement, starting last night. Lots of very strong feelings on the part of professionals, family members, and certainly our autistic self-advocates," Rosenberg said.
Beyond the scientific concerns, autism advocates criticized the language used in the announcement as harmful to the autism community.
"Some of the things that said were very hurtful to the autism community. Describing an individual as being at the heart of a horrible crisis that's destroying families, it's not only inaccurate, but it's dehumanizing, it's dangerous, and that kind of language upends the value and lived experiences of autistic people," Rosenberg said.
The Autism Society is available to help families struggling after the announcement.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
