President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol, pointing to an unproven claim that links the painkiller to autism.
Speaking from the Oval Office with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump claimed that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol – also known as paracetamol in most parts of the world – was “no good” and should only be used in pregnancy when there’s a high fever.
He then outlined steps his administration would take to restrict the use of the drug during pregnancy, in comments laced with unproven – and, in some cases, false – claims.
Here is what he said, and what the facts say, about the drug, autism and whether Cuba, as Trump claimed at one point, does not have autism.
What did Trump announce?
Trump opened the event by calling autism a “horrible, horrible crisis”.
“The meteoric rise in autism is among the most alarming public health developments in history. There’s never been anything like this,” Trump said, even though experts point out that the data on autism only captures increased diagnoses – not necessarily a rise in the incidence of autism itself.
Trump then laid out his administration’s plans to tackle the “crisis”.
“First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of a – well, let’s see how we say that acetaminophen – is that OK? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy, can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” he said.
He went on to warn that Tylenol use during pregnancy should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
“So taking Tylenol is not good. All right. I’ll say it. It’s not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever, that you feel you can’t tough it out. You can’t do it. I guess there’s that.”
Trump then shifted to his broader concerns about vaccines, arguing against combination shots – like the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella – even though they have been proven to be safe in multiple rounds of research.
He also questioned giving newborns the hepatitis B vaccine.
“Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no reason to give a baby that’s almost just born, hepatitis B. So I would say, wait till the baby is 12 years old and formed and take hepatitis B.”
Finally, Trump repeated a claim that countries without Tylenol, like Cuba, have little or no autism – framing it as evidence.
“I mean, there’s a rumour, and I don’t know if it’s so or not, that Cuba, they don’t have Tylenol because they don’t have the money for Tylenol. And they have virtually no autism, OK. Tell me about that one.”
President Donald J. Trump, @SecKennedy, @DrOzCMS, @NIHDirector_Jay, & @DrMakaryFDA announce the Autism Action Plan.
Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 22, 2025
As with Trump’s other claims at the event, his assertion about Cuba doesn’t stand up to scrutiny – as we’ll get to in a bit.
But first …
What is autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental condition that’s experienced by people in many different ways. In the United States, it’s recognised as a form of neurodivergence and disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism can shape how someone communicates, learns, and interacts with the world, often in ways that are simply different from most people.
Children diagnosed with autism can also have difficulties with social, emotional and communication skills. This can develop into traits that can affect interaction with others and difficulty in learning.
What causes autism?
Autism has been linked to a complex mix of genetic and developmental factors, and it looks different for every individual. Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that can play a role, either passed down from parents or appearing as new mutations during early brain development.
According to the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, certain environmental influences may increase autism risk, including:
- Advanced parental age
- Prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides
- Maternal obesity, diabetes or immune system disorders
- Extreme prematurity or very low birth weight
- Birth complications leading to periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain.
Is autism on the rise in the US?
At first look, that’s what the numbers would suggest.
Figures from the CDC show that in 2022, 1 in 31 eight-year-old children were identified with autism in the US, up from 1 in 149 in 2000.
According to the CDC, the condition is also about three times more common in boys than in girls.
Globally, estimates vary. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2021 that about 1 in 127 people worldwide were living with autism. Similarly, a 2022 review of 71 studies found an average prevalence of about 1 percent.
These numbers have been cited by some, like supporters of US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, to argue that the US faces a particularly acute challenge with autism, and have been used to justify crackdowns on drugs like Tylenol.
But experts warn that the data might not necessarily agree with these assertions and the measures that the Trump administration is taking.
Why are the numbers going up?
First, say experts, comparing autism rates across countries is problematic because of differences in diagnostic practices, awareness and access to healthcare – all of which affect how prevalence is measured and reported.
The increased numbers in the US, they point out, only demonstrate a sharp rise in diagnoses – not necessarily a rise in the incidence of autism itself.
According to experts, there are two main factors behind the rise in autism diagnoses. First, the definition of autism has broadened as scientists have recognised its wide spectrum of traits and symptoms. This has led to updated diagnostic criteria and better screening tools.
At the same time, growing awareness has meant that more parents are seeking evaluations.
What about acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) is one of the most widely used over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers.
For more than a decade, researchers have studied whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy is linked to developmental disorders. Findings have been mixed: Some studies reported associations with autism, while a 2025 Mount Sinai review suggested evidence for broader neurodevelopmental risks.
But association is not the same as causation. The largest and most rigorous study to date, published in 2024, found no link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism, ADHD, or other learning or developmental disorders. Experts note that the best-quality studies so far show no evidence of harm from acetaminophen.
According to the Autism Science Foundation, claims of a connection remain “limited, conflicting, and inconsistent”.
“The big reveal about autism was a total bust full of misinformation,” Arthur L Caplan, an American ethicist and professor of bioethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Al Jazeera.
“There is no data to show Tylenol causes autism and lots of data to show that fever in pregnant women harms the fetus,” he added.
To be sure, even without a Tylenol-autism link, most doctors “will probably tell pregnant women they should always be careful about medication”, Catherine Lord, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA who specialises in autism, told Al Jazeera.
But those doctors will likely also caution women not to avoid taking medicines when they have a fever during pregnancy, she said. “They also need to realise that having a high fever or being in pain is not good for a growing baby, either, so they should consult their doctor,” she added.
Have there been other claims about what causes autism?
Over the years, autism has been wrongly linked to many supposed causes. The most notorious was the false vaccine-autism link from a 1998 study, now fully debunked. That study claimed an association between the MMR vaccine – the same one that Trump targeted on Monday – and autism. The Lancet, the highly respected British journal that published that study, retracted it 12 years later, in 2010.
Other debated factors include prenatal medications or antidepressants, environmental toxins, and diet, but the evidence is weak or inconsistent. Earlier, the discredited “refrigerator mother” theory blamed parents who were perceived to lack adequate emotional warmth with their children for higher risks of autism.
And finally, is it true, as Trump claims, that autism does not exist in Cuba?
It’s untrue – and if anything, Cuba undercuts Trump’s argument.
Cuba officially recognises autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are multiple specialised schools and paediatric clinics that provide diagnosis and therapy for children with autism.
In Cuba, acetaminophen is generally known as paracetamol and is sold in government pharmacies. In other words, it is very much available and used as in other parts of the world.
According to a 2022 study, Cuba had an autism incidence of about 2 to 4 per 10,000 children in some settings. While research on autism diagnoses in Cuba is much more limited than in the US, the data from the 2022 study shows a far lower rate of recognised cases than in the US – despite the presence of acetaminophen.
The post Trump’s Tylenol announcement: What causes autism – and is Cuba autism free? appeared first on Al Jazeera.
