A landmark Danish study has found no evidence linking paracetamol taken by pregnant women to autism in their children, offering reassurance amid years of debate.
Researchers analysed health records for more than 1.5 million children born between 1997 and 2022, including 31,098 exposed to the common painkiller in the womb. Autism was diagnosed in 1.8 per cent of exposed children and 3 per cent of those unexposed, according to the research published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
The team adjusted for variables such as dose and trimester, yet the lack of association remained clear. These results echo a 2024 Swedish study that reached the same conclusion. Paracetamol, marketed as Tylenol in the United States, is widely recommended for pregnancy relief by health authorities including the UK’s National Health Service, which updated its guidance in 2023 to affirm its safety when used appropriately.
Not all research agrees. A 2025 U.S. review of 46 studies pointed to a potential connection with neurodevelopmental issues like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its authors stressed, however, that the findings do not prove the drug causes these conditions and advised pregnant women to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest period.
The issue gained political heat last September when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to warn on paracetamol labels about possible autism and ADHD risks. President Donald Trump reacted strongly, declaring that pregnant women and infants should not take the drug because of its link with autism.
Medical experts quickly criticised the comments as not evidence-based. The European Medicines Agency backed paracetamol’s profile in an October 2025 update. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr later noted that evidence does not show Tylenol definitively causes autism, though caution is warranted. The FDA has not commented further on its labelling review.
Guidelines from the CDC and NHS continue to support paracetamol alongside non-drug alternatives. This Danish investigation, leveraging comprehensive national data, stands as the most authoritative counter to earlier concerns.