When Donald Trump emerged this week with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz by his side, he unleashed one of the strangest medical myths of his administration: pregnancy and Tylenol give you autism.
He did not bring any new evidence but managed to upset doctors, health administrators, parents, and one of the rawest commentators on the internet, Mia Khalifa.
Mia Khalifa Calls It Quits With Facts And A Dose Of Sarcasm
Khalifa had no qualms calling out Trump’s remarks. In a scathing tweet on X (formerly Twitter), she reminded her 5.7 million followers that although it’s one of the ONLY safe pain relievers physicians prescribe for pregnant women with back pain, cramps, or headaches, the drug name for Tylenol (acetaminophen) actually does contain a drug.
“Acetaminophen(Tylenol) is one of the only approved pain relievers for pregnant women to take for back pain, cramps, headache, etc. This lie citing it as the cause of autism is nothing more than yet another attack on women’s reproductive health and safety,” she tweeted.
Then came the video. Khalifa posted a two-second video of herself relaxing outside wearing a white tank top, browsing her phone before providing the internet-granted “nawh” face. The post, laced with sarcasm, became the online refutation of a White House press conference deemed by many doctors as perilous.
Trump’s Overly Long Statement and Policy Consequences
At the White House event, Trump revealed the FDA would change drug labels to warn against the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, though decades of research affirm there is not a causal connection between the drug and autism. He also falsely stated autism rates don’t exist among the Cubans and the Amish, both untrue, as he also interlaced the autism and vaccines conspiracy theory he previously long disproved.
“Taking Tylenol is not good, I’ll say it: it’s not good,” Trump declared. “Communities without Tylenol? No autism.”
Federal agencies also set out to rebrand leucovorin, a vitamin B compound widely used for cancer treatment, as an autism treatment despite a lack of strong evidence demonstrating it does any good. The plans for Medicaid were told to cover it.
Doctors, autism advocates, as well as big drug corporations, were equally shocked by this cocktail of half-truths and pseudoscience.
The Medical Community Fires Back
Doctors call the administration’s move potentially catastrophic for pregnant women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a candid statement finding it highly upsetting for government agencies to put out advice without reliable data.
As mentioned by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the safe drug for the pain and fever of pregnant women is still acetaminophen, and untreated fever by itself may cause miscarriage, premature birth, or severe birth defects.
Even Tylenol-maker Kenvue leapt into the fray, declaring outright: “Independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion this poses.”
Merck, the giant drug company responsible for many vaccines, also slammed Trump’s comeback of the anti-vaccine rhetoric, pointing out the 25 years of research refuting the autism linkage.
Autism Experts Issue Caution Against “Junk Science”
Ann Bauer, one of the few researchers engaged in a study finding a possible link, cautioned the administration against wildly overplaying initial data. “I think they may be jumping the gun,” Bauer said in the Star Tribune. More substantial studies must come before broad-based health recommendations, she said.
At the same time, autism advocacy groups cautioned that their comments may perpetuate stigma and divert attention from tangible resources families require. “Today’s claims risk fueling stigma, misleading the public, and distracting from what families truly need,” The Arc of the United States’ Jackie Dilworth stated.
