New federal findings linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy with autism highlight the urgent need for more research into the disorder’s causes and treatments, and answers are needed about the claims, former White House COVID response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told Newsmax on Tuesday.
“The moms are frustrated,” Birx said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “First we tell them it’s a spectrum disorder, so it’s not really a precise diagnosis in their hands. And then we’re telling them all the things that it’s not caused by.
Still, Birx said that, by her understanding, “there is this relationship that has been demonstrated with Tylenol. That doesn’t mean it caused it. It also means that maybe those moms were sick and they took Tylenol. Maybe it was linked to a virus. We really don’t know precisely right now.”
President Donald Trump on Monday urged pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen-containing pain relievers such as Tylenol, citing a debated link to autism.
He also pressed for changes to infant vaccination schedules, part of his wider push to reshape U.S. health policy. Many doctors, however, continue to consider acetaminophen safe in pregnancy, noting that untreated fever and pain can also endanger mothers and babies.
Kenvue, the company that makes Tylenol, on Monday pushed back on the administration’s claims, saying there is no credible evidence linking the drug to autism.
Birx emphasized that the current evidence shows an association rather than proof of causation, but noted that parents deserve answers. A Harvard review of more than 40 studies found exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of autism and other developmental disorders.
“The fact that many in the mainstream media don’t even want to talk about it, I think, is just wrong,” Birx said. “It was right to highlight this … they saw an increased incidence of attention deficit disorders and neurodevelopment disorders in children.”
She added that pregnancy health measures such as folate supplementation remain critical, and parents should weigh alternatives when possible. “We don’t know precisely if it’s Tylenol, but to be safe, if you have a choice, try not to take it,” Birx said.
Beyond the acetaminophen issue, Birx welcomed the government’s plan to bring major agencies together to build databases and pursue new treatments. “When you’re talking about nearly 3% of children in the United States with autism, it is a problem we should be addressing at all levels,” she said.
“They brought the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, all of them together and said, ‘we’re taking this seriously. We’re going to try to come out of this with a better understanding of how to prevent it and how to treat it,'” she added.
Birx stressed that the guidance does not extend to the general public. “If you’re not pregnant or a young child and you need it, I’ve not seen anyone say you shouldn’t be taking Tylenol or acetaminophen,” she said.
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