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Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes-Reassuring Evidence From a Matched-Sibling Study
Letter/Communication   Peer reviewed

Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes-Reassuring Evidence From a Matched-Sibling Study

Brian K Lee and Viktor H Ahlqvist
JAMA internal medicine
29 Jun 2026
PMID: 42371636

Abstract

In September 2025, the US administration held a press conference stating that its ongoing investigation into the causes of autism had identified maternal use of acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy as a potential causal factor. This was concerning given that acetaminophen is among the most used medications in pregnancy for the management of pain and fever, in part because alternative options are limited or contraindicated (eg, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and opioids).

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