(MENAFN) A groundbreaking analysis released Monday in the British Medical Journal has dismantled claims linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism and ADHD in children—directly contradicting recent assertions from senior US officials.

The comprehensive umbrella analysis, which scrutinized dozens of existing studies, revealed that previously reported associations vanished when researchers controlled for shared family variables including genetics and environmental factors, according to the study authors.

Earlier research suggesting a connection was fundamentally flawed by unmeasured confounding variables—such as parental health conditions and lifestyle patterns—rather than the medication's actual effects, the investigation determined.

"The current evidence base is insufficient to definitively link in utero exposure to acetaminophen with autism and ADHD in childhood," the authors wrote. The research team emphasized the urgent need for higher-quality studies incorporating rigorous controls for genetic and environmental influences.

The findings directly challenge statements made last September by US President Donald Trump, who alleged that Tylenol use during pregnancy "may be linked to a significantly increased risk of autism"—a claim swiftly dismissed by numerous public health agencies. Trump has cultivated a pattern of promoting fringe and scientifically unsubstantiated health theories dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout his initial presidential tenure.

Acetaminophen—marketed as Tylenol in the United States and paracetamol internationally—continues to hold its position as the gold-standard treatment for fever and pain management during pregnancy across global medical establishments.

Researchers emphasized their conclusions should provide confidence to expectant parents and medical professionals while simultaneously highlighting the critical necessity for more methodologically sound long-term research.

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