Danish Study Debunks Tylenol-Autism Connection

A nationwide study conducted in Denmark, encompassing over 1.5 million children born between 1997 and 2022, has concluded that prenatal Tylenol use is not linked to autism. The research, published on Monday, revealed that autism was diagnosed in 1.8% of the 31,098 children exposed to Tylenol in utero, compared to 3% in the unexposed group.

The findings remained consistent after accounting for individual risk factors, including the drug's dosage and the trimester of pregnancy during which it was administered. This aligns with a 2024 Swedish study that also found no such association.

While a 2025 U.S. review of earlier studies suggested a potential link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders, its authors cautioned it did not prove causation. They advised continued, cautious use of acetaminophen by pregnant women. The U.S. FDA had initiated a label change process to warn of a possible association, a move that faced criticism from medical groups for lacking evidence-based support.