US president Donald Trump has claimed that paracetamol (acetaminophen or Tylenol) use in pregnancy is linked to autism in children, urging pregnant women to avoid the painkiller. This announcement has sparked alarm, confusion and a flurry of responses from health experts worldwide. Trump’s comments come in a long line of unsubstantiated claims about the causes of autism, with paracetamol now the latest target.
To understand these claims, we need to examine what autism actually is and why diagnoses have increased. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition affecting social interaction, communication and behaviour. It is not a disease but a lifelong difference in how people experience and interact with the world.
While diagnoses of autism have increased in recent decades, this is largely due to better awareness, broader diagnostic criteria and improved access to assessments. Many people, especially women and those with less typical presentations, were previously missed or misdiagnosed.
