BOISE, Idaho — A new federal announcement is raising questions about whether acetaminophen – better known as Tylenol – could be linked to autism, sparking debate among health experts.
Tylenol has long been considered the safest option for pregnant women battling pain or fever. But after the Trump administration announced plans to relabel the drug over concerns about possible autism risks, local doctors say it’s important to separate headlines from facts.
WATCH: Idaho doctors weigh in on new federal warning about Tylenol use in pregnancy and claims of autism risk
“Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is the generic name, has been around for a long, long time. It's one of the very few medications that has always been considered totally safe in pregnancy,” said Dr. Megan Kasper, an OB-GYN at Grace Women’s Health in Nampa. “And like anything else, medicine that gets used a lot can have things come up with it periodically that people say, hey, it looks like there might be an association here or there.”
Dr. Kasper said the data being cited in Washington is conflicting and that medical societies still recommend acetaminophen as the safest choice for pregnant patients.
“They say in the press release, yeah, the data is really conflicting. It's not strong evidence. It's not consistent evidence at all. But we're going to go ahead and go after relabeling Tylenol. So kind of in the press release, they say, the data's not great, but we're gonna go do this anyway,” Kasper said.
She worries pregnant women could avoid Tylenol altogether, leading to more severe problems from fevers.
“The big concern and the big risk to this new statement is that women are going to not use Tylenol and put themselves at risk for other things that are potentially higher risk. For example, an untreated fever. We know that an untreated fever [poses] risks to the unborn child,” Kasper said.
RELATED | What medical experts say pregnant women need to know about Tylenol, leucovorin and autism
Kasper also noted she understands why the push for answers resonates with many families.
“I think autism has been a really frustrating problem for everybody," she said. "Those of us in healthcare, the public, parents, educators, and I very much applaud the interest in doing something meaningful about addressing that increase, addressing figuring out where autism comes from, why is it on the rise,” she said.
At the state level, Idaho health leaders say they are still reviewing the evidence behind the federal announcement.
RELATED | Magic Valley parents and a pharmacist weigh in on Trump's autism announcement linking Tylenol use
“We are reviewing the literature that was cited in the announcement,” said Dr. Christine Hahn, Idaho’s state epidemiologist and medical director for the Division of Public Health. “But in the meanwhile, we recommend, as always, that pregnant women should talk with their doctor before taking any medicine while they're pregnant just to make sure it is safe.”
Right now, the Food and Drug Administration says the evidence shows a possible association – not definitive proof – that Tylenol use in pregnancy is linked to autism. Health professionals continue to recommend that pregnant women consult their doctors before taking any medication.
