Link Between Acetaminophen and Autism?

By: Doreen Adatsi

In lieu of recent media, there appears to be a possible link between prenatal

acetaminophen use and increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. These possible linkages are highlighted in Dr. Waggel’s discussion of Mount Sinai’s study. More precisely, Dr. Waggel concludes that there is a possible association between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism/other neurodevelopmental disorders, however this does not establish causation. Therefore, further high-quality quantitative research is needed to clarify these findings.

With respect to a paper published by the National Institute of Health, namely Maternal

paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: umbrella review of systematic reviews, it has been established that “the effects of paracetamol use during pregnancy on a child's neurodevelopment have raised concerns, primarily with respect to the development of autism spectrum disorder” (Sheikh, et. al.). This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis, including 17 studies in the meta-analysis and 43 in the systematic review. It was determined that pregnancy-related paracetamol exposure was not linked to autism spectrum disorder (OR 0·98,

95% CI 0·93–1·03; p=0·45), ADHD (0·95, 0·86–1·05; p=0·31), nor intellectual impairment (0·93, 0·69–1·24; p=0·63), in accordance with sibling comparison studies. There existed no correlation found between paracetamol consumption during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (OR 1·03, 95% CI 0·86–1·23; p=0·78), ADHD (0·97, 0·89–1·05; p=0·49), or intellectual impairment (1·11, 0·92–1·34; p=0·28) (Sheikh, et. al.).

References

Scofield, Sydnee. “Local Experts Urge Caution Interpreting Tylenol and Autism Link after

White House Announcement.” ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, 23 Sept. 2025, abc11.com/post/local-experts-urge-caution-interpreting-tylenol-autism-link-white-house-announcement/17868601/.

Sheikh, Jameela et al. “Maternal paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: umbrella review of systematic reviews.” BMJ (Clinical research ed.) vol. 391 e088141. 9 Nov. 2025, doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-088141