MHRA confirms taking paracetamol during pregnancy remains safe and there is no evidence it causes autism in children

Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that US physicians will soon be advised not to prescribe paracetamol (known as Tylenol in the US) to pregnant women, Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said:

"Patient safety is our top priority. There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.   

"Paracetamol remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed. Pregnant women should continue to follow existing NHS guidance and speak to their healthcare professional if they have questions about any medication during pregnancy. Untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn baby, so it is important to manage these symptoms with the recommended treatment. 

"Our advice on medicines in pregnancy is based on rigorous assessment of the best available scientific evidence.  Any new evidence that could affect our recommendations would be carefully evaluated by our independent scientific experts. 

"We continuously monitor the safety of all medicines, including those used during pregnancy, through robust monitoring and surveillance. We encourage anyone to report any suspected side effects to us via the Yellow Card scheme."

Read full press release

Source: MHRA, 23 September 2025

MHRA factsheet on taking paracetamol while pregnant:

Factsheet - Paracetamol and Pregnancy.docx