The European Commission said Tuesday there is no evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning against the medication.
“Regarding the question about paracetamol — or Tylenol, or whatever you call it — the European Medicines Agency, which authorizes medicines and imposes strict controls on every product entering the European market, has not found any evidence linking its use during pregnancy to autism,” Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said in a press briefing in Brussels.
Trump, in contrast, said Monday that taking Tylenol — the U.S. brand name for paracetamol — “is no good” and suggested the drug should only be used when pregnant women could not “tough it out.”
Speaking at a White House press conference on Monday, President Trump claimed that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy may be associated with a “very increased risk of autism,” and stated that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will notify doctors about this potential risk.
“The European Medicines Agency has reviewed a large amount of data from pregnant women who used paracetamol during pregnancy and found no indication of risk of malformations in the developing fetus or newborns,” Hrncirova said, adding that “there is no evidence that would require changes to the current EU recommendations.”
“Paracetamol remains an important option to treat pain or fever in pregnant women,” EMA Chief Medical Officer Steffen Thirstrup stressed in a statement Tuesday. The agency noted that its advice is based on “a rigorous assessment of the available scientific data,” including a 2019 review of studies on the neurodevelopment of children exposed to paracetamol in utero.
Trump’s remarks have prompted warnings from doctors that pregnant women could be discouraged from using one of the few medicines considered safe to treat fever and pain during pregnancy.
“The European Union believes in provable, robust science,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill added.
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