Geneva, September 23, 2025: The World Health Organization (WHO) and European regulators on Tuesday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s warnings that paracetamol use during pregnancy may cause autism, stressing that current evidence does not support such claims.
At a press briefing in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic acknowledged that while some studies have hinted at a potential link, the findings have not been replicable.
“This lack of replicability really calls for caution in drawing causal conclusions,” he said, emphasizing that scientific consensus does not justify any change in medical guidance. Jasarevic also reiterated that vaccines do not cause autism, underscoring their proven, life-saving role in public health.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) echoed this position, stating that “available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism.” The agency added there was no new data to warrant changes to existing recommendations, advising that pregnant women can continue to use paracetamol when needed, provided it is taken at the lowest effective dose.
Britain’s health regulator issued a similar statement on Monday, reaffirming that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, remains safe during pregnancy.
The coordinated response followed Trump’s rare press conference a day earlier, in which he urged pregnant women and parents of young children to avoid Tylenol and suggested delaying childhood vaccinations. His remarks revived long-debunked claims linking vaccines to autism.
Medical societies worldwide, however, continue to endorse paracetamol’s safety in pregnancy and stress that decades of research show no connection between vaccines and autism.
