Despite the warnings of US President Donald Trump about taking paracetamol during pregnancy because of his assumed association with autism, the latest scientific studies indicate that taking this common residence in moderate doses is not dangerous to the fetus, while the current medical recommendations remain without any change.
US President Donald Trump – Monday – announced during a press conference that eating paracetamol during pregnancy is linked to a “very large” increase in the risk of autism in children.
But scientific research does not support this claim, at a time when US Health Minister Robert Kennedy Junior is soon to reveal the reasons for what he described as an “autism” epidemic, which raised expert fears due to the complexity of the issue and the controversial Kennedy positions towards vaccines.
Paracetamol is also known as acetaminophen, one of the most used pain relievers, and recent studies indicate that pregnant women can take it in moderate doses without risk.
A Swedish study published in 2024 in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that “eating paracetamol during pregnancy is not associated with an increase in the risk of autism, attention deficit or mental retardation in children.”
The cause of controversy
Donald Trump’s statements did not come from a vacuum, as medical society witnessed a discussion on the subject between the late first decade and the beginnings of the second decade of this century.
At that time, calls for caution have sparked widespread media attention, especially in an article signed by about a hundred researchers and doctor and published in the journal Nature Revios Indocluology.
“We are recommended to inform pregnant women, since the start of pregnancy, the need to avoid paracetamol unless there is a medical need,” the article said, and the text is subjected to criticism and was described as exaggeration in causing anxiety.
The authors attributed their call to the existence of “experimental and epidemic” data indicating that “exposure to paracetamol during pregnancy may affect the development of the fetus.”
What is the reason for these concerns?
These statements are due to several studies that dealt with the possibility of a relationship between the intake of paracetamol and some diseases, especially autism.
One of these studies, published in the year 2015 in the magazine of Octitam Research and relied on Danish health data, sparked widespread controversy, as she continued the children until the age of 12 and concluded that the risk of autism increased by 50 percent when the mother was taking paracetamol during pregnancy.
In the year 2025, a research collection research published about 40 studies in the Innvironment Hilth magazine, and supported the possibility of this link, and some members of the Trump administration were explicitly martyred.
But many researchers believe that these studies do not exceed that they are a prelude to opening new research paths, given the shortcomings of their methodology.
It does not provide clear indicators on the actual mechanisms of a potential causal relationship, for example, is the reason that is actually paracetamol, or is it the health problems that led to eating it that increases the possibility of autism?
On the other hand, the study published in the medical journal of the American Association took into account several factors that may affect the results of the analysis, including comparing the risk of autism between children from the family itself, given the great role that genetic factors play in this disorder, and ultimately, the study did not show any increase in the risk of autism as a result of eating paracetamol during pregnancy.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that “some observable studies have indicated that there is a possible correlation between pre -birth and autism, but the evidence is still inconsistent.”
Is paracetamol a safe option?
As with any medication, taking paracetamol during pregnancy is not without effects, but the basic risks are related to overcoming the recommended dose, especially because of the damage to the liver.
The European Pharmaceutical Agency (EMA) confirmed – in a statement on Tuesday – that “paracetamol can be taken during pregnancy, provided that it is used at the lowest effective dose, shortening for the shortest possible period and at the lowest possible repetition,” noting that its recommendations in this regard have not changed.
Paracetamol remains in a clear difference, the most secure option between pain relievers for pregnant women, compared to aspirin and ibuprofen, which are prohibited from taking in the last stages of pregnancy due to the risk of causing the death of the fetus or congenital abnormalities.