WHO Begs to Differ With Trump's Tylenol Stance

Add the World Health Organization to those pushing back against warnings from the Trump administration about the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy. President Trump and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. linked use of the drug—the active ingredient in Tylenol—to autism, but the WHO says "no conclusive scientific evidence" backs up the assertion, reports the Guardian.

"Extensive research has been undertaken over the past decade, including large-scale studies, looking into links between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism," says the WHO statement. "At this time, no consistent association has been established." The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency also said acetaminophen—aka paracetamol—is safe for pregnant women, and major health agencies in Australia and the European Union agreed, per the Washington Post.

Trump's comments came after a review funded by the National Institutes of Health found some studies suggesting an association between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD, but lead researcher Diddier Prada clarified that association does not prove causation. "We show that acetaminophen is associated with a higher risk, but not causing it," he told the Post. "Those are very different things."