For Lucy Martinez, 27 weeks pregnant, Tylenol is a crucial ally against the intense nerve pain in her back and legs. It provides much-needed relief.
Ms. Martinez, a 28-year-old from Pocatello, Idaho, broke a vertebra in a snowboarding accident in January. Discovering her pregnancy a few months later, she ceased all strong painkillers, navigating both her recovery and her pregnancy journey hand-in-hand.
She describes the pain on difficult days as “unbearable.” So, she was understandably distressed when, on Monday, the President advised pregnant women to forego Tylenol, linking acetaminophen—its active ingredient—to autism. This claim contradicts medical consensus that Tylenol is safe for moderate use during pregnancy.
Immediately, Ms. Martinez reached out to her doctor to confirm if her pain medication was still safe. Despite receiving reassurance, she later tearfully called her mother, overcome with anxiety about potential blame should anything go wrong.
Even at its smoothest, pregnancy brings discomfort and pain. Bodies change, muscles cramp, and headaches are common. Expectant mothers constantly balance their well-being with their baby’s development, carefully monitoring their diet and lifestyle. They rely on guidance from healthcare professionals and loved ones.
Now, they are also receiving unexpected guidance from the President.
During a White House briefing, the President declared, “Don’t take it,” referring to Tylenol, urging women to “Fight like hell not to take it.” He acknowledged exceptions only for critical situations, such as dangerously high fevers.
Caption: “Don’t take it,” President Trump said of Tylenol at a White House briefing on Monday. “Fight like hell not to take it.”
Interviews with pregnant women and medical professionals reveal that the President’s announcement introduced a fresh wave of concern. Expectant mothers are already barraged with advice and judgment from all sides, including unsolicited comments from strangers.
Meaghan English, a 38-year-old from Boston who is 34 weeks pregnant, felt a sense of relief that she was at her obstetrician’s office when the President’s news conference aired.
Ms. English, already a mother to a healthy two-year-old, described the moment as “surreal.” She is currently 34 weeks into her second pregnancy.
She relies on Tylenol for migraines, a practice she maintained during her first pregnancy. Weeks prior, Ms. English, who works in international development, became aware of a Harvard scientific review that indicated a correlation, though not a direct cause, between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Seeking reassurance, she asked her obstetrician’s nurse to reconfirm the safety of Tylenol, receiving an affirmative response.
Numerous health organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, have investigated the potential risks of acetaminophen—the most commonly used medication during pregnancy—to developing fetuses.
Their findings remain inconclusive, indicating no confirmed risk. However, acetaminophen also treats fever, a condition that can indeed be dangerous for a fetus.
For many pregnant women, the President’s advice echoed their existing practices. It is already common for them to avoid medication whenever possible.
Caption: Audrey Widodo, experiencing her first pregnancy, has found herself swamped by the sheer volume of information and advice on social media.
Audrey Widodo, 26, living in Mountain View, California, is 33 weeks into her first pregnancy. She has been inundated with advice and information from social media. Her initial inclination was to “tough it out” without medication, though she did seek her doctor’s advice and took a prescription for severe nausea.
For other discomforts, she’s exploring natural remedies. Instead of Tylenol for back pain, she opts for massages or soothing balms. “Pregnancy is a lot,” she shared. “Being my first time, I’m simply more apprehensive.”
Lindsey Corey, 41, of Lake Worth, Florida, is a mother to Owen, 6, and Molly, 4. She noted that she took Tylenol during her second pregnancy but not her first, and that Owen has autism while Molly does not.
Ms. Corey expressed concern that the President’s remarks could be hazardous, especially since acetaminophen effectively lowers fever. “The immense guilt you can inflict on a mother, the guilt she might feel that she caused autism in her child, it’s truly heartbreaking,” she lamented.
Upon learning of the President’s impending announcement, Dr. Laura Andreson, an obstetrician in Franklin, Tennessee, immediately began training her nurses on how to discuss Tylenol with pregnant patients.
She fears that expectant mothers might stop taking the drug, despite the fact that the dangers of avoiding it often surpass the risks of using it. “A high fever during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, miscarriage, or even stillbirth,” she explained.
Dr. Andreson, who cares for thousands of patients, anticipates many will experience heightened anxiety due to the President’s remarks. “I struggle to comprehend the reasoning behind such statements,” she stated.
Caption: Julia Love, who suffers from gallstones, emphasized that most pregnant women do not take medication lightly.
Julia Love, 34, from Stoughton, Wisconsin, is expecting her second child, a daughter, around Thanksgiving. She believes the President’s statements disregard the exceptional caution already exercised by many expectant mothers.
“Most pregnant individuals prioritize their children’s well-being, so we don’t take medication casually,” she stated. For her own headaches, she prefers rest and quiet rather than acetaminophen.
However, she also battles gallstones, describing the pain as comparable to childbirth with her now four-year-old son. As surgery is not an option during pregnancy, Ms. Love takes Tylenol, as prescribed by her doctor.
Almetria Turner, a doula in Memphis, pointed out that conflicting advice from top government officials could disproportionately affect Black women, whose pain is frequently overlooked, and low-income women, who often have limited access to healthcare.
For those without easy access to a doctor, she noted Tylenol’s crucial accessibility in drugstores. “If you remove that option, what are they left to do?” she questioned. “Just endure the pain, the fever, the headaches?”
Catherine Monk, a professor of women’s mental health at Columbia University, highlighted that pregnancy is already a significant source of stress for many women. “I don’t believe anyone’s health benefits from this becoming a politicized issue,” she remarked.
She advocated for empathy from all perspectives. “There’s a desperate, urgent desire to pinpoint the cause of this deeply unsettling diagnosis,” she said of autism, acknowledging that severe cases require fundamental living support. “However, we must also rationally accept that autism, like most neurodevelopmental disorders, stems from intricate environmental and genetic interactions.”
Ms. Martinez, from Idaho, expressed concern that individuals might adhere to the administration’s recommendations due to political alignment, rather than scientific evidence.
She also took issue with the President’s portrayal of autistic individuals, including her nonverbal brother. The idea that her mother, or any mother, might feel responsible for her child’s condition deeply upsets her.
“It’s simply overwhelming,” Ms. Martinez concluded. “Pregnancy itself is already overwhelming enough.”
Azeen Ghorayshi contributed to this report.