Explainer-Is Tylenol safe to take during pregnancy?

By Nancy Lapid

(Reuters) -U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce a link between autism and prenatal exposure to the popular over-the-counter pain and fever medicine Tylenol, sold generically as acetaminophen in the United States and paracetamol in the UK, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ON ACETAMINOPHEN USE DURING PREGNANCY?

There is no firm evidence of a link between the use of the drug and autism. Recent studies have yielded conflicting conclusions on whether its use during pregnancy might create risks for a developing fetus.

A 2024 study of nearly 2.5 million children in Sweden found no causal link between in utero exposure to acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder or attention defici