Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly advised expectant mothers to disregard claims made by Donald Trump linking Tylenol, known as paracetamol in the UK, to autism. These assertions, which suggest a "meteoric rise" in autism cases due to paracetamol use during pregnancy and advocate for women to "tough it out" instead of taking the painkiller, have been widely refuted by medical professionals and global health authorities.

In response to Trump's comments, which also included unscientific advice regarding vaccines, Wes Streeting urged pregnant women in the UK not to pay "any attention whatsoever" to the former US president on medical matters. He unequivocally stated, "There is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None." Streeting emphasized trusting doctors, British scientists, and the NHS over political figures, underscoring the importance of following medical science and asking questions without falling for misinformation.

This firm stance is supported by robust scientific evidence. A major study conducted in Sweden in 2024, involving 2.4 million children, did not uphold any claims linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism. In contrast, the White House's position appeared to rely on a 2025 review of 46 earlier studies which, while suggesting an association between prenatal paracetamol exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders, critically did not prove causation and still advised pregnant women to use acetaminophen at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible period.

Global health agencies and regulators have uniformly dismissed Trump's unscientific advice. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed the safety of paracetamol during pregnancy. Dr. Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, highlighted that "untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn baby," reinforcing the importance of managing symptoms with recommended treatments. The World Health Organization (WHO) affirmed that vaccines do not cause autism and characterized evidence linking paracetamol to autism as "inconsistent." The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) also maintained their guidelines, confirming paracetamol's safety and rejecting any link to neurodevelopmental conditions like autism or ADHD.

The National Autistic Society, through its head of policy and campaigns, Mel Merritt, expressed alarm at the "incessant misinformation" from President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting its potential to undermine decades of research and create "further fear, stigmatization and harm" for autistic people and their families. The charity urged people to seek information from trusted organizations like the NHS and the National Autistic Society.

Experts have clarified that the observed rise in autism diagnoses is primarily attributable to two factors: a broadening definition of autism spectrum disorder and increased public awareness leading to more frequent diagnoses. These reasons do not involve vaccines or medication, directly refuting Trump's implication of a "meteoric rise" tied to drug use.

In conclusion, medical and scientific consensus remains clear: paracetamol is a safe and recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed. Healthcare professionals worldwide advise reliance on rigorous scientific evidence and trusted medical guidance, rather than politically motivated claims that lack factual basis, to ensure the health and safety of both mother and child.