New Study Says No Link Between Tylenol and Autism: Report
Key Takeaways
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, contradicting previous warnings.
- The study included 43 rigorously selected studies, excluding those based on self-reported data, ensuring scientific reliability.
When researchers excluded studies that did not use proper methods to collect data, the results showed no connection between the medication and genetic disorder.
A new study suggests that there is no link between Tylenol and autism.
More specifically, the research shows that women taking acetaminophen during pregnancy are most likely increasing the risk of neurodevelopmental issues. Up until last year, this was a commonly held belief.
How did researchers determine if Tylenol causes autism?
However, in
A new study published in The Lancet pushes back against these claims, however. Researchers describes itself as a “systematic review and meta analysis” and compared the results of eligible studies.
The study’s authors include:
- Francesco D'Antonio, PhDa
- Maria Elena Flacco, PhDb
- Lorenza Della Valle, MBBSc
- Smriti Prasad, MRCOGd
- Lamberto Manzoli, PhDf
- Athina Samara, PhDg,h,i
- Prof Asma Khalil, FRCOG
NBC reports that researchers looked into thousands of studies and eliminated any that did not meet rigorous scientific standards.2 Specifically, studies that simply asked women to self-report if they had taken Tylenol while pregnant and if their child had autism were not included. Instead, the included studies used data from medical records and/or questionnaires administered by healthcare providers.
In total, 43 studies were included in the analysis.
In response to new study, Alycia Hallday, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, told NBC News, “The question has been answered. There was never a relationship between acetaminophen and autism. We can stop talking about this now and focus on what does cause autism instead of confusing families and continuing to blame the mother.”
In a statement to NBC News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said, “According to HHS, many experts have expressed concern of the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.”
In September of last year, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary issued a statement on the supposed link between Tylenol and autism. In it, he wrote, “The FDA is taking action to make parents and doctors aware of a considerable body of evidence about potential risks associated with acetaminophen. Even with this body of evidence, the choice still belongs with parents. The precautionary principle may lead many to avoid using acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially since most low-grade fevers don’t require treatment. It remains reasonable, however, for pregnant women to use acetaminophen in certain scenarios.”
At the time, Tylenol-maker Kenvue issued its own statement pushing back on these claims.
“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” the statement read. “Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives. High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated.”
Around the same time, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson (Kenvue’s previous owner). In a statement, Paxton explained, “Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks. These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets. Additionally, seeing that the day of reckoning was coming, Johnson & Johnson attempted to escape responsibility by illegally offloading their liability onto a different company. By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”
Sources
1. Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. January 16, 2026.
2. After Trump warned about Tylenol and autism, researchers investigated — and found no link. NBC News. Jan 16, 2026.
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