President Trump reiterated his stance on Sunday, advising pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol unless it’s absolutely necessary. He also urged against giving over-the-counter medications to young children and advocated for dividing certain vaccine doses.
This renewed emphasis comes a month after he, along with health authorities, recommended that expectant mothers refrain from using acetaminophen, a commonly used pain reliever, due to speculative links to autism, despite no conclusive evidence supporting such claims.
Historically, acetaminophen has been viewed as a safe option for pain relief during pregnancy, making Trump’s recent remarks particularly striking.
In a post on TruthSocial, he stated, “Pregnant women should not use Tylenol unless absolutely necessary. Do not give Tylenol to young children for virtually any reason. Split the MMR shot into three completely separate shots (do not mix!) and also take the Hepatitis B shot separately.” Additionally, he encouraged those aged 12 and older to ensure vaccination through their healthcare providers.
Trump’s previous comments about childhood vaccinations were based on his personal feelings, which he once again shared. Jim O’Neill, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), backed the idea of dosing the MMR vaccine separately, although there’s a lack of research backing such a change.
Both the World Health Organization and the European Union have disputed Trump’s assertions regarding the risks of acetaminophen during pregnancy, stating that the FDA had noted “causality has not been established” in response to his initial claims.
Notably, respected organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine continue to advocate for the safety of acetaminophen for pregnant women.
Nevertheless, Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned in September that the FDA would consider updating Tylenol’s label to warn that it “may significantly increase the risk of autism.”
Recently, Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol, requested the FDA to retract proposed changes to its safety label. Currently, the label advises pregnant and breastfeeding individuals to consult healthcare professionals before use.
This request was in response to a citizen petition submitted by the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine group with affiliations to Secretary Kennedy. Kenvue argued that extensive scientific studies over many years do not support a causal relationship between acetaminophen usage during pregnancy and developmental disorders.
The company emphasized that acetaminophen is one of the most researched medications, and both the FDA and the industry have continuously evaluated its impact on pregnancy and neurodevelopment. They described the proposed label change as “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.”
Kenvue also noted that Kennedy and other Health and Human Services officials had recently reached out to share their perspectives on the potential link between acetaminophen and autism, reinforcing their position that the evidence does not indicate any substantiated correlations.
