Health Canada pushes Tylenol as “recommended” treatment during pregnancy

Health Canada pushed an advisory saying that the Tylenol and other acetaminophen products are the “recommended treatment” for fever and pain during pregnancy.

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Health Canada pushed an advisory saying that the Tylenol and other acetaminophen products are the “recommended treatment” for fever and pain during pregnancy in light of a debate about the product sparked by the Trump administration.

During the row over the new recommendation, a post from 2017 by Tylenol, the most commonly known distributor of acetaminophen, resurfaced on X, saying that it doesn’t recommend using any of its products while pregnant.

In response to the U.S. government’s changed recommendation, the acetaminophen producer released a statement, however, saying the company believes “independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.”

“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion this poses for expecting mothers and parents,” it said.

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration change labels on acetaminophen products and alerts physicians of studies showing the drug could have a link to neurological conditions when consumed during pregnancy, Health Canada released a statement saying there is “no conclusive evidence” to suggest it does when used “as directed.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced Monday that acetaminophen can cause an increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in babies when a mother ingests the drug during pregnancy.

The announcement comes after America has observed a nearly 400 per cent increase in autism rates since 2000, with 1 in 31 American children now diagnosed.

In response, the U.S. FDA “initiated a process” to change acetaminophen labels to “reflect evidence” suggesting the use of the drug may be associated with increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children. They also sent a letter warning doctors of the new evidence.

“Some studies have described that the risk may be most pronounced when acetaminophen is taken chronically throughout pregnancy to childbirth,” the letter to physicians reads. “These concerns may be magnified by the fact that a very young child’s liver may still be developing and thus a child’s ability to metabolize the drug may be limited.”

The letter advised clinicians to “consider minimizing” the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers but asserted that the drug was still “the safest over-the-counter alternative in pregnancy,” noting that aspirin and ibuprofen have well-documented adverse impacts on the fetus.

Since then, several leftist women have recorded themselves casually ingesting Tylenol while pregnant in spite of Trump and RFK Jr.’s announcement.

Health Canada released an advisory Tuesday saying “acetaminophen is a recommended treatment for fever and pain during pregnancy,” on X.

The advisory, in response to the U.S. announcement, asserts that “there is no conclusive evidence that using acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Health Canada notes that the drug should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration needed. Saying that untreated fever and pain in a pregnant woman, which the drug could be used to alleviate, can pose risks to an unborn child.

“Always follow the directions on the label. Do not take more than the recommended dose. Taking too much acetaminophen can cause harm, including serious harm to your liver,” the announcement reads. “If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your health care provider if you have questions about the use of any medications.”

The announcement notes that Health Canada will “carefully evaluate” any new evidence that could affect its recommendations, and promised to adjust if new evidence presents itself.

It also notes that acetaminophen products “already carry clear warnings” about the safe use of the drug during pregnancy or breastfeeding. On Tylenol’s Canadian website, Tylenol notes that consumers should ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking their products while pregnant or breastfeeding.

In 2019, the company told one user on X, “It’d be great to touch base real quick since we haven’t tested Tylenol to be used during pregnancy,” likely due to ethics around conducting clinical drug trials on pregnant women.

Several studies, including those from Mount Sinai’s school of medicine, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University, have found a correlation between the chronic use of the drug during pregnancy and neurological disorders in infants. Though they and other reports, such as one from Yale University, note that just because there is a strong correlation between the drug and the disorders, it does not prove that the drug is the cause of such disorders.

Research from Johns Hopkins University, for example, found that “children whose cord blood samples contained the highest levels of acetaminophen—the generic name for the drug Tylenol—were roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder later in childhood, compared to children with the lowest levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood.”

Health Canada did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.