Health Canada refutes President Donald Trump’s assertion linking Tylenol use during pregnancy and childhood to autism. The government agency emphasized that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is a recommended treatment for pain and fever in pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of following doctor’s instructions and using the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration. Health Canada stated that there is no definitive evidence proving that using acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.
The department highlighted that acetaminophen has been safely used by millions of Canadians for many years, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Health Canada’s advice on acetaminophen usage is based on thorough assessments of scientific evidence. The agency reiterated that it closely monitors medication usage in Canada and noted that Tylenol labels already provide clear warnings regarding safe use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
President Trump recently claimed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would alert physicians about a potential increased autism risk associated with acetaminophen use. Trump advised against taking Tylenol, despite lacking conclusive evidence to support his statement. Experts and Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, also emphasized the absence of concrete evidence supporting the alleged link between acetaminophen and autism.
During his official appearance, Trump’s unusual move of offering medical advice to pregnant individuals and caregivers without new evidence drew attention. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) maintained that Tylenol use during pregnancy does not lead to neurodevelopmental disorders, rebutting claims suggesting such links as weak and consistently refuted.
Apart from the Tylenol controversy, Trump also called for reevaluating the debunked connection between childhood vaccines and autism, with support from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic. Kennedy’s pledge to identify the cause of autism by September puzzled experts, who reiterated the complex nature of autism and the multiplicity of genetic and environmental factors influencing it.