The Health Secretary says pregnant women should ignore President Trump’s claims about paracetamol use being linked to autism, as ITV News’ Cari Davies reports
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said expectant mothers should pay no “attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine”, after the US president claimed paracetamol use during pregnancy was linked to autism.
Trump said there had been a “meteoric rise” in cases of autism and suggested that paracetamol, known by the brand name Tylenol in the United States, is a potential cause.
He said the painkillers should not be taken during pregnancy, suggesting pregnant women should “tough it out” and also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines.
His comments have been widely criticised by autism campaigners and scientists in the UK.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, Streeting said: “I’ve just got to be really clear about this: there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None.
“In fact, a major study was done back in 2024 in Sweden, involving 2.4 million children, and it did not uphold those claims.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, Wes Streeting said people should not “pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine”
“So I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.
“In fact, don’t take even take my word for it, as a politician – listen to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS.”
Streeting added it was important to “follow the science”, particularly at a time when “you’ve got kids in this country now dying of measles, whooping cough, kids not taking the RSV vaccine when those respiratory diseases can be life-threatening in our children…
“I’d just say to people watching; trust your doctor, trust medical science, and when making decisions about your own family or your own care, just ask yourself, would you really want to see you love dying with measles? Whooping cough?
“These are things I thought we’d consigned to the history books. And science can consign it to the history books if we trust medical science.
“And I trust doctors over Donald Trump frankly on this.”
“The use of paracetamol in pregnancy is perfectly safe,” NHS England’s Chief Midwifery Officer Kate Brintworth said
The health secretary’s comments align with NHS England – its website says “paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant. It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.”
Speaking on Tuesday, NHS England’s Chief Midwifery Officer Kate Brintworth reiterated that sentiment.
“The use of paracetamol in pregnancy is perfectly safe,” she said.
“I completely understand that many women will be feeling anxious and worried.
“Hearing news like this makes them think ‘am I doing the right thing?’ But I want to reassure them they are.
“We’ve done extensive research, we really understand the science behind this, and there is no evidence at all that paracetamol is anything other than safe.”
She added that women who have been prescribed paracetamol should “keep taking it” because medicine is only prescribed in pregnancy “for very good reasons”.
Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “The incessant misinformation about autism from President Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr risks undermining decades of research by respected experts in the field.
“Understandably, autistic people will be dismayed and frightened by this announcement, and we would urge our government and the NHS to stand by autistic people and to condemn this misinformation. To do otherwise risks creating further fear, stigmatisation and harm.
“We urge anyone looking for information about autism to visit websites from trusted organisations such as the NHS and the National Autistic Society.”
Experts say the rise in cases in the US is mainly because of a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a spectrum and better diagnoses.
Dr Monique Botha, associate professor in social and developmental psychology at Durham University, said: “There are many studies which refute a link, but the most important was a Swedish study of 2.4 million births published in 2024 which used actual sibling data and found no relationship between exposure to paracetamol in utero and subsequent autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
“This suggests no causal effect of paracetamol in autism.”
Dr Botha added: “Similarly, pain relief for pregnant women is woefully lacking and paracetamol is a much safer pain relief option during pregnancy than basically any other alternative and we need to take pain seriously for women, including whilst pregnant.
“The fearmongering will prevent women from accessing the appropriate care during pregnancy.
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