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Major health authorities from around the world and lawmakers at home are pushing back on President Trump’s claim yesterday that a common over-the-counter pain reliever could be linked to autism rates. 

© Associated Press

Trump on Monday told pregnant women not to take Tylenol and to just “tough it out.” He also suggested that young children should not take the medication. 

This is despite there being no evidence establishing a causal link between acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and neurodivergent conditions. 

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

“Available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism,” the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement to Reuters. 

European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova later confirmed the conclusion, stating that the EMA is overseeing “very strict control of every product that goes to the European market, has not found any evidence linking the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism.” 

These statements align with those made by U.S. medical groups, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, following the White House’s announcement on Monday. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, said on social media, “HHS should release the new data that it has to support this claim. The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case. The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy. We must be compassionate to this problem.” 

The FDA has already initiated the process of changing the labels for acetaminophen. 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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Essential Reads 

How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:

FDA initiates label change on Tylenol to warn of autism

CNN’s Gupta: Trump’s Tylenol move won’t change guidance for pregnant women

Jon Stewart mocks Trump over acetaminophen pronunciation

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read:

EU, WHO confirm drug’s safety during pregnancy after Trump links it to autism

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