Common painkiller Tylenol causes autism, says Trump

President Donald Trump and health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr last night claimed there was a link between autism and acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, despite little or no evidence to back the claim.

- ERIC GARCIA

“And I want to say it right now, and you know the way I look at it, don't take it,” Mr Trump said. “Don't take it. There's no Mr Trump and Mr Kennedy, both of whom have repeated debunked links between vaccines and autism, had said the US government would reveal “what has caused the autism epidemic” by September.

“So taking Tylenol is not good, all right, I'll say it it's not good for this reason,” Mr Trump said. “They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary.”

Throughout his announcement, Mr Trump repeated numerous conspiracy theories about autism, including easily debunked claims about mercury in vaccines and the idea that certain populations do not develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Tylenol is the most commonly used pain reliever and many women use acetaminophen, Tylenol’s scientific name, for fever or pain. Mr Trump struggled to pronounce the name of the drug during the announcement.

Most experts say that the link between autism and Tylenol use during pregnancy is minimal at best. A major study in Sweden of more than 2 million children released last year found that “Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also pushed back and said that use of Tylenol is safe during pregnancy.