Medical professionals, scientists and autism advocates in Ireland have strongly rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism, describing his statements as scientifically unfounded and potentially harmful to public health.
At a press conference yesterday, Trump told pregnant women to “fight like hell” to avoid taking Tylenol (paracetamol) except in cases of extreme fever, claiming the drug was “no good” and strongly linked to autism. He described autism as “among one of the most alarming public health events in history” and claimed rates had surged by “much more than 400%.”
The CEO of autism charity AsIAm, Adam Harris, said he was “horrified” by the press conference, describing it as a “concerted effort to bring us thirty years into the past when it comes to acceptance of autism.” Harris criticized the “ableist” language that framed autism as a “disease that needs to be cured” rather than recognizing it as “a natural variation in human neurology.”
The Irish Medical Organisation strongly condemned Trump’s claims as “demonstrably false and hugely irresponsible,” stating they pose a “real threat to public health.” The IMO emphasized there is “no scientific evidence to suggest that paracetamol usage while pregnant is linked to autism in children.”
Dr Jeffrey Glennon, Assistant Professor at UCD’s School of Medicine, directly refuted the paracetamol claims, citing a major 2024 study funded by the US National Institute of Health. The research examined 2.4 million Swedish-born children and found no link between maternal paracetamol use and autistic traits when comparing siblings whose mothers had different medication histories during pregnancy.
Current HSE guidance states that paracetamol is “safe to take in pregnancy” and while breastfeeding at recommended doses, advising patients to “take the lowest dose that works for you for the shortest possible time.”
Trump also repeated discredited claims about vaccines causing autism, stemming from fraudulent research that has been definitively debunked by the World Health Organisation. He advised parents to “break up” childhood vaccinations across multiple years and visits, contrary to established medical guidance.
Harris emphasized that political leaders should focus on addressing real challenges facing autistic people, including poor mental health outcomes, shorter life expectancy, and high unemployment rates, rather than perpetuating harmful misconceptions about the condition’s causes.
The statements come at a time when health authorities globally are working to maintain public confidence in vaccination programs and evidence-based medical guidance during pregnancy.