Trump Issues Urgent Advisory on Tylenol Use During Pregnancy: What Expectant Mothers Need to Know

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In a recent statement, former President Donald Trump has reiterated his cautionary stance on the use of Tylenol by pregnant women, advising them to refrain unless it is “absolutely necessary.” He also suggested that children should avoid the over-the-counter medication for nearly any reason and proposed modifying the dosages of certain vaccines.

This renewed advisory from Trump follows a previous statement made last month, where he and leading health officials recommended that pregnant women steer clear of acetaminophen. Despite being one of the most commonly used pain relievers worldwide, concerns were raised about a potential link to autism, although no new evidence has surfaced to directly support this claim.

Traditionally, acetaminophen has been regarded as the safest option for pain management during pregnancy, making Trump’s recent comments particularly significant.

In related news, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to approve legislation that would allow the over-the-counter sale of Ivermectin.

Nonetheless, Trump reiterated his position in another statement on Sunday, further emphasizing his stance.

The president also gave personal suggestions last month on when and how parents should have their children receive certain vaccines, offering advice he said was based on his own feelings.

Jim O’Neill, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has endorsed Trump’s call to split the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, despite no research supporting the change.

Both the World Health Organization and the European Union have refuted Trump’s assertion that acetaminophen may cause conditions like autism and ADHD when taken by pregnant women. The FDA acknowledged that “a causal relationship has not been established” in public statements following Trump’s initial plea.

Medical organizations have also backed acetaminophen as safe for pregnant women, including both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

However, Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in September that the FDA would begin updating the label on acetaminophen and notifying physicians that Tylenol “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”

Last week, Tylenol maker Kenvue called on the FDA to pull back on the proposed safety label change. The current label instructs people who are pregnant or breastfeeding to “ask a health professional before use.”

In response to a citizen petition filed last month, the company said the “expansive scientific evidence developed over many years” does not support a causal link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and developmental disorders.

The citizen petition was filed by the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine nonprofit with close ties to Kennedy.

“Acetaminophen is one of the most studied medicines in history, and scientific evidence regarding acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes has been continuously evaluated by FDA and industry for more than a decade,” Kenvue said.

The company noted that adopting the change would be “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.”

Kenvue said last week that it had met with Kennedy and other HHS staff in early September after he reached out to “express his view about an association between acetaminophen and autism.”

The company said it told Kennedy the science did not support a causal link for pregnant women, nor did it support an association between postnatal use of acetaminophen and autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.