When the president of the United States stands on a podium and declares that Tylenol – locally known as Panadol – gets autism in children, parents listen. His statements released a wave of fear, anxiety and anguish at least in Karachi, where we report from.
An autism expert at Aga Khan University was “flooded” with calls and e emails from anxious mothers over the weekend after Trump’s orientation.
“Many mothers feel guilty, thinking that their child’s autism may be attached to medicine taken during pregnancy,” said Associate Professor Dr. Sidra Kaleem, one of Pakistan’s few developmental pediatricians, and the director of Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at Aga Khan University Hospital.
“It is important to understand the difference between causal and association,” she emphasized. Some studies have observed children who developed autism after their mothers took Panadol during pregnancy, Others did not. “This proves that taking Panadol does not guarantee that a child will develop autism,” she said.
Autism is largely a condition in which genetic and environmental factors contribute. “Vaccines do not cause autism,” she added by comparison. “We have seen children with autism from areas where vaccination programs do not exist.”
Autism manifests itself as social communication difficulties, repeated behavior and challenges in understanding societal norms, especially when these signs appear in early childhood.
“Tylenol is still one of the safest painkillers for pregnant women, and using it when needed is not a risk factor for autism,” Dr. Sidra.
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What did Trump say?
Panadol, widely prescribed for pregnant women for fever and less pain, is considered one of the “safest” options during pregnancy. Acetaminophen – known globally as ‘tylenol’ or ‘panadol’ – is the same medicine used to treat pain and fever.
When he spoke at a Briefing in the White House about autism research, President Donald Trump said the Food and Drug Administration would notify doctors that the birth use of acetaminophen “may be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
Scientists respond to Trump
A larger US-based non-profit organization focused on autism, Autism speaksissued this statement, “We call for administration’s resources to be dedicated to promoting new and innovative research areas, so that society benefits from fresh insight rather than revising questions that have been investigated well, including vaccines and autism.”
WHO and European regulators have also weighed in. “None of Acetaminophen (Tylenol/Panadol) or vaccines have been shown to cause autism,” spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said, noting that some observation studies suggested a possible affiliation, but evidence remains inconsistent.
Medical experts and Tylenol’s parent company, Kenvue, dismissed Trump’s claims. “Independent science clearly shows that acetaminophen is not causing autism,” a spokesman told People Magazine.
Dr. Karam Radwan, the director of Uchicago Medicine Neurodevelopmental Clinic, added, “Tylenol has probably been used for decades and is still one of the safest options for treating fever and pain during pregnancy.”
The United Kingdom’s Medicine and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) repeated this insurance and said, “Patient safety is our highest priority. There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.”
WHO and MHRA further clarified that autism occurs even in areas without vaccination programs, which strengthens that vaccines do not cause the condition – and similarly there is no evidence that panadol (acetaminophen) taken during pregnancy causes autism.
‘We can’t draw celebrations conclusions’
The head of the Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology, Professor Dr. SYED JAMAL RAZA, told Express PakinomistIt is difficult to establish a clear connection between painkillers and autism.
“If we are especially talking about Panadol, we have to ask why mothers take it during pregnancy in the first place. Often it is due to an underlying viral infection or body pain. So indirectly there was already another factor present. You cannot isolate the effect. We call this a confusing effect – when two effects appear together.”
He emphasized that when all factors are considered, there is still no evidence to suggest that Panadol is causing autism. “Other factors, such as environmental impacts or excessive screen time, can also play a role. We cannot draw celebrations conclusions that Trump did. In pregnancy, even the slightest risk can cause complications, which is why we generally avoid medical medicine. So yes, it is better to avoid taking Panadol unnecessarily for something less like a sneeze or headache.”
On the question of what is actually causing autism, Dr. Raza that there is no single reason. “Autism is a multifactor disorder. There is no gene that is directly linked to it. What we know is that there may be a genetic disposal, which is then triggered by environmental factors.”
By clarifying further, he added that autism has a very high heredity and about 5-10% of cases are the results of the sufferings of single genes. Abnormalities in brain development also play a role along with environmental impacts.
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Drawing a comparison with Type 1 diabetes he added, “The gene may be present, but it will only be activated later in life.”
Dr. Raza explained that autism develops over a period of time, and early detection signs vary case to case, such as difficulties in maintaining eye contact. “Autism is not a single, uniform disorder. Existing on a broad spectrum, which is why we call it ‘ASD’ (autism spectrum disorder). It may range from mild to severe.”
In summary, Dr. Raza that current scientific evidence strongly rejects a causal link between Panadol and Autism.
At most there is a very slim option. The most important takeaway, he said, is that even if it remains ‘safe when needed’, Panadol – like all medications – should not be taken unnecessarily during pregnancy.
Parents respond
Some parents sought urgent consultations while others rejected the claims.
A mother told The Express Pakinomist, “I don’t think it will happen because of taking Tylenol (Panadol) during pregnancy. Yes, it is possible if we take it too much or routinely, but I don’t think so.”
She added, “I feel that excessive mobile use and exposure to harmful rays can also contribute to autism as far as I know.”
With further reporting from Noor Bhurgari.
