Pregnant people already had few options for pain. Doctors worry about ripple effects of RFK Jr. linking Tylenol to autism

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Shefali Luthra , Barbara Rodriguez

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The federal government’s reported plans to link pregnant people’s use of acetaminophen — the pain-relief drug sold under the brand name Tylenol — as a cause of autism could worsen their health and stigmatize one of the few treatments pregnant people have for reducing pain and fever, doctors warn.

“Not only is it false to say Tylenol causes autism, it’s really dangerous,” said Dr. Bhaskari Burra, an OBGYN in Asheville, North Carolina. “If people are hesitant to take Tylenol in pregnancy, it’s really concerning.”

The claim, reported in the Wall Street Journal , is expected to be included in a Health and Human Services report that has not yet been released publicly. It is the latest in a serie