Like, omg besties, buckle up, because the Tylenol drama just got political, and the science world is so not amused. At a super flashy White House event on Monday, President Trump—literally yelling half the time—told pregnant women to “tough it out” and stop taking Tylenol, even suggesting it could cause autism. But here’s the catch: there’s zero proven science backing that claim. Experts are, like, clutching their pearls.
Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and top dogs from the FDA and NIH basically blamed rising autism diagnoses on acetaminophen (Tylenol’s active ingredient) without solid evidence. And scientists everywhere are screaming, “That’s not how science works!” Medical experts are saying Tylenol is still considered safe for pregnant women when used responsibly and under a doctor’s advice.
Here’s the tea: researchers have found some associations between Tylenol use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. But association isn’t causation. Like, just because two things happen together doesn’t mean one caused the other. Most of those studies were observational and retrospective, meaning they weren’t, like, randomized controlled trials. Pregnant women weren’t assigned to take Tylenol versus nothing—researchers just looked back at who took it and who didn’t and then checked kids’ outcomes. And guess what? Those kinds of studies can get totally messed up by “confounding” factors. Maybe the women who took Tylenol were different in other ways.
A giant study of 2.5 million Swedish kids last year even showed that when you compare siblings—same family, same genes, same environment—there’s no link between Tylenol and autism. And let’s not forget, untreated fevers in pregnancy are, like, seriously dangerous—linked to birth defects and preterm labor. Doctors worldwide—including the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine—have literally said: the evidence is inconclusive. Translation? There’s no reason to suddenly freak out and toss your Tylenol bottles.
Doctors are worried Trump’s comments could scare pregnant women away from treating pain and fever, which could harm both moms and babies. Some OBs are now considering not recommending Tylenol because they’re afraid of lawsuits if a child is later diagnosed with autism—lawsuits based on nothing. It’s “a huge blow” to public health progress. “The risk of fever is higher than anything I’ve seen related to acetaminophen.”
Let’s also be real: Tylenol doesn’t have a twin. Pregnant women are supposed to avoid ibuprofen and naproxen after 20 weeks because those can hurt fetuses. So Trump telling women to “tough it out” is basically telling them to risk their health. And the ripple effect? Global. The U.S. still drives a lot of health messaging, and reckless statements like this can scare people worldwide, make doctors second-guess themselves, and cause confusion that can literally cost lives.
And for babies? Sure, too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage (over 50,000 ER visits in the U.S. each year!), so parents have to dose it correctly. But experts like Brennan Baker say it’s safe when used properly—way safer than letting a baby ride out a high fever and risk febrile seizures. Other painkillers? Ibuprofen can wreck little kidneys, and aspirin is a big no unless a doctor says otherwise.
So, yeah, Valley Girl verdict: this feels like science being tossed aside for political theater. Pregnant women and parents deserve evidence-based advice, not a presidential hot take. Global trust in health guidance is fragile enough without world leaders spreading half-baked claims. Maybe—just maybe—let’s listen to the epidemiologists instead of turning pain relief into a campaign rally punchline.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
Where science gets ghosted for sound bites, and moms worldwide are left holding the Tylenol bottle.
