Developmental pediatric specialists from Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago have responded to recent claims by the Trump administration suggesting a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism. The experts say that these assertions are not supported by strong scientific evidence.
Dr. Rachel Follmer, assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and physician at Lurie Children’s, expressed concern about the impact such claims could have on families. “I fear this is going to potentially hurt families. Women are going to be scared of taking Tylenol in pregnancy. Certain untreated conditions in pregnancy put you at risk for other things. For example, there is a potential association between fever and neural tube disorders like spina bifida.
“So many mothers of neurodivergent children really blame themselves, as we often do as mothers, thinking, ‘There was something I did or didn’t do in pregnancy or early childhood that could have changed the outcome.’ It feels like a step back to the days when we used to blame mothers for the neurodivergence in their children. This creates a huge amount of guilt. It’s not helpful in reducing the rates of neurodivergence and doesn’t help the children who are neurodivergent. Rather than focus on something we can vilify, we need to be focusing more on how to help families and value individuals for their differences.
“We would love to have more tools and ways of supporting families — especially the families who deal with the more extreme end of autism — but rushing the process and ignoring or cherry-picking facts without good science ends up doing more harm and adding additional mistrust to patient-provider relationships.”
Dr. Larry Gray, associate professor of pediatrics at Feinberg and physician at Lurie Children’s, advised that those concerned about these reports should consult healthcare professionals for guidance: “Pregnant individuals and families confused about the assertion that there is a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism should consult their physicians. In the setting of families getting really upset about this information, it’s those relationships that get us through these challenging times. They should reach out to get support. They can also consult the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as another trusted source of information.”
The specialists referenced decades of research into autism causes, including a major 2024 study by Swedish and American scientists which found no increased risk associated with acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
On possible treatments for autism such as leucovorin (folinic acid), Dr. Gray said: “We know that prenatal folate is important for brain and spine development, which is why maternal vitamins containing folate are important for preventing conditions like spina bifida. However, there is less information about the role of folate after birth, except in certain extreme conditions that do not apply to most children with autism. While early reports present some interesting data, there is still a lot of uncertainty about whether leucovorin will prove to be helpful.”
Dr. Follmer added: “There’s some initial data showing positive results, such as language improvements or better engagement from the autistic individual, but there’s concern for some bias and the small sample sizes. I think everyone is interested to see if leucovorin could be helpful, but we all want more research before we jump on board to say this is helpful.”
Reporters seeking interviews with Drs. Follmer or Gray may contact Kristin Samuelson at ksamuelson@northwestern.edu.