September 26, 2025Doctors and researchers are nearly unanimous in their response to President Trump’s assertion this week that acetaminophen use by mothers in pregnancy causes autism in their children: No scientific evidence supports this unfounded claim.
Even the Harvard epidemiologist who co-authored the study cited by Trump said, “Further research is needed to confirm the association and determine causality.”1“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible,” said Steven J.
Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in a statement. “It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data.”Trump, who has no medical training, also urged parents to space out the often-combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for children, and to delay other childhood vaccines such as hepatitis B, falsely stating that the hepatitis B virus is only transmitted sexually.
This is incorrect; it can be spread through infected blood or other bodily fluids, including during childbirth.“They pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it’s a disgrace,” Trump said. “I think it’s very bad.” In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated.
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