No scientific proof paracetamol causes autism: S'pore docs

They assure expectant women that drug remains safe to use throughout pregnancy

- Judith Tan Correspondent

Doctors in Singapore said there is no scientific basis that acetaminophen, known as paracetamol here, causes autism when taken during pregnancy.

Acetaminophen or paracetamol is the active ingredient in Tylenol and Panadol, two brands of pain-relieving medication.

Professor Tan Hak Koon, chairman of the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, told The Straits Times that paracetamol has been used safely in pregnancy for decades, and this is backed by leading medical organisations.

"Current scientific evidence does not support claims that acetaminophen or paracetamol causes autism when taken during pregnancy," he said.

Obstetricians and gynaecologists ST spoke to want to assure expectant women that paracetamol remains safe to use throughout pregnancy when taken at recommended doses for the shortest duration needed.

On Sept 22, US President Donald Trump had claimed there is a link between the use of Tylenol by pregnant women and an increased risk of autism in some children.

He went against current scientific advice and medical opinion by saying that taking Tylenol was "no good", and that pregnant women should "fight like hell" to take it only in cases of extreme fever.

His announcement came after months of widely trumpeted investigations spearheaded by his health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and was an assertion hotly contested by scientists and contradicted by studies worldwide.