Does Tylenol cause ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disorders?

On September 22, 2025, the Trump administration made an announcement claiming that using Tylenol while pregnant may cause autism and ADHD. The announcement follows a study published in August that linked acetaminophen (Tylenol) use in pregnancy to neurodevelopmental disorders in children. A new large study took a closer look at the data and found no connection. 

It’s easy to feel alarmed about these types of reports and studies. You may wonder if the claims are true. If your child is neurodivergent, you may feel like you did something to cause their diagnosis. It’s normal to have these types of concerns when headlines like these dominate your newsfeeds. 

Here at Understood, our goal is to help you make sense of the news and what it means for your family. Our research team took a look at the studies linking acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Here’s what you need to know. 

In a study published in January 2026, researchers looked at 43 of the best quality studies on whether using acetaminophen during pregnancy increases the risk of babies developing autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities. 

The study accounted for many factors that might skew the results. Some of the strongest data came from studies that compared siblings. Researchers looked at thousands of families in which the mother took acetaminophen during one pregnancy and not the other.

Genetics, environment, and family factors are often very similar between siblings. For example: 

• Genetics: They may share a similarity in how prone they are to infection. 

• Environment: They live in the same household and are exposed to the same toxins, such as lead.

• Family situation: They live with the same family stressors.

If siblings have different outcomes, it’s easier to figure out the cause when you know which factors the kids share. And which ones they don’t share, like their mother taking acetaminophen when pregnant with one of them but not the other. 

After analyzing the data, the researchers found no link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and greater risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities in children. This study offers the strongest and clearest results of the research that has been published so far. 

Research published in August looked at 46 research studies conducted over the span of decades that examined whether Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Overall, the results were mixed. About 60 percent found that using Tylenol may make it more likely that your child will develop ADHD. The remaining 40 percent found either no connection between Tylenol and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) or a reduced chance that your child will have ADHD. 

**This table is based on the results presented in this study. Our team created an independent row for studies categorized as “mixed results.”

The authors of the August study concluded that the studies finding a link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders were more valuable than the other studies. But without ADHD experts or health professionals like OB-GYNs on their research team, the researchers overlooked information that would’ve made those studies far less valuable.

When a group of health professionals, including OB-GYNs and pharmacists, examined many of these same studies, they pointed out quite a lot of flaws. For example, one of the studies the researchers considered more influential used the level of acetaminophen in blood samples that had sat for 20 years as one of their data sources. Just like food that sits on the shelf, blood samples can also become spoiled or unusable over time. 

The group of OB-GYNs and pharmacists concluded that many of the studies that linked Tylenol use to developing a neurodevelopmental disorder missed important information. For example, many of the studies did not ask or consider if either parent had ADHD themselves. 

Even if mothers were asked this question, to answer it correctly, they’d have to know they have ADHD. But since women are often diagnosed later in life — or not at all — many don’t know they have the disorder.

This isn’t the only study that looked at Tylenol use and ADHD risk. Another study found that dads who use Tylenol up to six months before conception have a greater risk of having a child with ADHD. But these connections don’t mean that Tylenol caused a neurodevelopmental disorder. There can be other factors at play — like knowing whether these parents are neurodivergent themselves or have a family history of neurodevelopmental disorders. It can be hard to fully understand these factors if you don’t have the full picture.

Additionally, the FDA has not found clear evidence that using acetaminophen during pregnancy causes negative pregnancy, birth, neurobehavioral, or developmental outcomes. 

Following the September announcement, multiple professional associations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), released statements reaffirming Tylenol’s safety.

“In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children,” Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG, president of ACOG, said in a statement. “In fact, the two highest-quality studies on this subject — one of which was published in JAMA last year — found no significant associations between use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.”

Not taking Tylenol when it’s prescribed for fever or illness during pregnancy, on the other hand, can be bad. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine states that not taking acetaminophen when it’s prescribed during pregnancy is harmful to both the mother and baby. The risks include a higher likelihood of miscarriage, birth defects, and premature birth. 

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of conditions and experiences. You can be neurodivergent if you have ADHD, autism, a learning disability like dyslexia or dyscalculia, or a mental health condition such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Because there are so many different types of neurodivergence, there isn’t a “one size fits all” explanation. 

But what about neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD? Research consistently shows that genetics is responsible for as much as 60 to 90 percent of ADHD development. Your environment plays a role, too. Researchers believe that the interaction between the environment and genetics is responsible for the remaining percentage.

Taken all together, if you or your child are neurodivergent, it’s likely that someone else in your family carries genes related to neurodivergence. Without knowing your family’s medical history, it could look like your mother’s Tylenol’s use was a factor when really, it’s the genetics that you all share.

That said, it’s normal and understandable to feel overwhelmed or even anxious during pregnancy. If you’re concerned, or have more questions, talk to your health care provider.

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences like ADHD and dyslexia. Help us continue this work and further our mission by donating.