A comprehensive scientific review has definitively found no link between taking paracetamol during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children. The findings directly counter claims made last year by former US President Donald Trump, which caused widespread anxiety among expectant mothers.
Gold-Standard Analysis Puts Fears to Rest
The research, published in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health journal, is described as the most rigorous analysis on the topic to date. Led by Professor Asma Khalil, an obstetrics expert at St George's, University of London, a team of seven European researchers analysed 43 previous studies.
Their meta-analysis included health data from a vast pool of children: 262,852 assessed for autism, 335,255 for ADHD, and 406,681 for intellectual disability. The study's conclusion was unequivocal: "This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence that maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or intellectual disability among children."
Rejecting Unfounded Claims and Reassuring Mothers
The study serves as a direct rebuttal to remarks made by Donald Trump at a White House press conference on 22 September last year. Referring to paracetamol by its American brand name, Tylenol, he advised pregnant women not to take it, claiming it was dangerous and linked to autism.
Professor Khalil stated: "The message is clear: paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided. This is important as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend for pregnant women in pain or with a fever, and so they should feel reassured that they still have a safe option." The researchers emphasised that avoiding paracetamol for significant pain or fever can expose both mother and baby to known risks.
Expert Consensus and Official Response
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting welcomed the findings, reinforcing official NHS advice. "This major review can, yet again, reassure mothers-to-be everywhere that there is no evidence whatsoever to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism," he said. He had previously urged the public to ignore Trump's medical pronouncements.
Independent experts strongly endorsed the study's conclusions. Professor Grainne McAlonan of King's College London said she hoped the findings would "bring the matter to a close." Dr Steven Kapp from the University of Portsmouth noted the research should shift focus away from false causes and towards "making the world a better place for disabled people."
The study authors suggested that any past observed associations were more likely explained by genetic factors or the underlying health condition that prompted the paracetamol use, rather than the drug itself. The overwhelming scientific consensus confirms that paracetamol, used as directed, is a safe and essential treatment for pain and fever during pregnancy.
