Trump sounds false alarm on pain relief drug – and Kennedy's allies look set to profit

In linking rising levels of autism to Tylenol taken in pregnancy, president opens the door to retailers of alternative remedies

- Alexi Mostrous Head Of Investigations

Donald Trump's warning to pregnant women to avoid Tylenol seemed to come out of the blue. Flanked by two middle-aged white men, the president told millions of expectant mothers on Monday to "tough it out" rather than take one of the few mainstream pain medications approved for pregnancy.

Trump told reporters that Tylenol was "no good" and could cause autism if taken during pregnancy. Women should "fight like hell" to take it only in cases of extreme fever. US doctors will now be advised not to recommend the drug - called paracetamol outside the US - during pregnancy.

Trump's attack on Tylenol was pivotal. For doctor and patient groups it presented a nightmare scenario: pregnant women might now choose to suffer through a much more serious fever than take a common overthe-counter medication that most studies show is perfectly safe.

For Robert F Kennedy Jr, US health secretary, and others close to health policy, it marked the culmination of years spent raising concerns about the drug. At the same time, organisations to which they were closely connected have marketed or promoted "natural" alternatives to paracetamol.

"The conditions that people use acetaminophen to treat during pregnancy are far more dangerous than any theoretical risks," Dr Steven Fleischman, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said, referring to the generic name for the drug.

Many expectant mothers took Trump's warning as the latest admonishment of a group already chided for jogging or eating soft cheese. For parents whose children had an autism diagnosis, it felt like an accusation.

"Is this why my child has autism?" one parent asked Dallas Reed, a doctor in Boston. Reed told The Observer she had to "reassure [parents] that autism is not caused by any medication they used in pregnancy".