Paracetamol Safe in Pregnancy, Landmark Study Dismisses Autism Claims

A comprehensive International review has confirmed that Paracetamol use during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other neurodevelopmental conditions in children, directly contradicting claims previously made by US President Donald Trump.

The findings, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, reassure expectant mothers that the commonly used painkiller remains safe when taken as recommended.

Researchers described the analysis as “gold-standard,” urging pregnant women to feel confident about using paracetamol to manage pain or fever.

The review assessed 43 high-quality studies involving hundreds of thousands of women, with particular emphasis on sibling-comparison research that controls for shared genetics and family environments.

According to the authors, this approach effectively rules out confounding factors that had fuelled earlier concerns.

Lead author, Professor Asma Khalil, a consultant obstetrician and professor of maternal–fetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London, said the evidence was unequivocal.

She noted that no association was found between prenatal paracetamol exposure and autism or ADHD, reinforcing existing guidance from medical authorities across the UK, Europe, and the United States.

Global Mirror News reports that the study was commissioned partly in response to widespread confusion following remarks made in 2025 by President Trump, who alleged that paracetamol—known as acetaminophen in the US—could be linked to autism and urged pregnant women to avoid it.

Those comments drew swift criticism from global medical organisations, which warned they could deter women from treating high fever or pain during pregnancy, potentially endangering both mother and baby.

Medical experts stress that untreated fever in pregnancy is associated with higher risks of miscarriage, premature birth, and developmental complications. Paracetamol remains the first-line and safest option for managing such symptoms.

Independent specialists have welcomed the new findings. Professor Grainne McAlonan of King’s College London said the review should relieve unnecessary anxiety among expectant mothers, while Professor Ian Douglas of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine described the analysis as robust for excluding lower-quality studies that failed to account for underlying maternal illness.

Despite the strong conclusions, US health authorities have maintained a cautious tone. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said some experts continue to express concern, citing earlier observational research that suggested possible links with heavy or prolonged acetaminophen use.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also advised clinicians to use caution, while acknowledging that no causal relationship has been established and that acetaminophen remains the only approved treatment for fever during pregnancy.

Health officials in the UK, however, reiterated that paracetamol remains the safest and most effective painkiller for pregnant women.

As Global Mirror News observes, the latest Lancet review is expected to settle the debate, reaffirming long-standing medical consensus that paracetamol, when properly used, poses no neurodevelopmental risk to unborn children.