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Tylenol’s parent company said the 2017 tweet didn’t address its full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol which has not changed.
WASHINGTON — Following President Donald Trump promoting unproven links between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, a 2017 social media post by the pain reliever is drawing renewed attention.
The March 2017 post from Tylenol’s official Twitter, now X, account was a response to someone else’s tweet and said that it didn’t recommend using any of its products while pregnant. Some in the president’s base have pointed to the resurfaced post as evidence supporting Trump.
However, Kenvue Inc., the parent company of Tylenol, stressed that the “eight-year-old consumer response is incomplete and did not address our full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol which has not changed.”
Kenvue said Tylenol, known by the generic name acetaminophen, is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy.
“We recommend pregnant women do not take any over-the-counter medication, including acetaminophen, without talking to their doctor first,” Kenvue added in a statement.
During a White House news conference on Monday, Trump instructed pregnant women around a dozen times to not take acetaminophen.
Some studies have raised the possibility that taking the over-the-counter painkiller in pregnancy might be associated with a risk of autism — but many others haven’t found a connection.
In recent days, Tylenol’s 2017 tweet has been flooded by responses and comments. The company hasn’t posted on its X account in more than four years.
Kenvue has been refuting Trump’s claims. The company’s website about Tylenol notes that “credible, independent scientific data” shows no proven link between acetaminophen and autism.
It also links to statements from several medical associations discrediting any connection.
“Tylenol is one of the most studied medications in history–and is safe when used as directed by expecting mothers, infants and children,” Tylenol’s website states. “The facts remain unchanged: over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals, confirm there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.