Over the past couple of months, headlines have warned expectant parents that something as ordinary as a pain reliever or an antidepressant taken during pregnancy could “cause autism.”
The stories have focused on acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol or the brand name Tylenol) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline).