Health Canada fact-checks Trump's acetaminophen claims
Health Canada has issued a statement amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that acetaminophen use during pregnancy is linked to autism in children.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Health Canada published a public advisory stating that acetaminophen is “a recommended treatment for fever and pain during pregnancy.”
“Use acetaminophen as directed. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your health care provider if you have questions about the use of any medications,” reads the statement. “Health Canada currently maintains that there is no conclusive evidence that using acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.”
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The advisory was published the day after a White House press conference on Monday, Sept. 22, during which Trump claimed that acetaminophen — commonly known by brand names such as Tylenol — taken during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism in children.
Trump claimed that autism is a “horrible crisis” and that taking Tylenol during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
“So taking Tylenol is not good. All right, I’ll say it: it’s not good,” said Trump. “For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can’t tough it out; you can’t do it.”
On Sept. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it had initiated the process to update labels on Tylenol and similar products, suggesting that they may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children.
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Health Canada advises pregnant people to continue to use acetaminophen for pain and/or fever as directed and not to take more than the recommended dose. The government department states that its advice is based on “robust, rigorous assessments of the available scientific evidence.”
“If new scientific evidence demonstrates a risk, Health Canada would take action to update labels, inform health care professionals, and provide advice to Canadians,” it stated.