Tylenol and Mass Hysteria

By Valentine Morales

Tylenol is the #1 Doctor recommended pain reliever, and fever reducer brand. Invented in 1955, the pain killer has been trusted for decades, as most of the population is familiar with the drug. However now, there is a mass hysteria surrounding the product. Lately, Acetaminophen, an ingredient the product contains has been hypothesized to increase the risk of babies during pregnancy developing neurological conditions, such as autism. In September of 2025, the Trump Administration announced that pregnant mothers should avoid using this drug at all costs because of its risks of “birth defects”. This has led to a panic around the product, even when no scientific evidence has been able to prove the connection, and the fact that autism has existed before the drug was invented.

“DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON.”

Donald Trump

While pregnant women are not the specific target for this over the counter drug, the Trump Administration is directly telling them to stop their usage of the medicine. The White House recently issued a press release with links to scientific studies backing up Trump’s claim about the effects of acetaminophen. President Trump believes that using Tylenol during pregnancy will cause autism and other risks of neurological conditions in children. However these studies provided only “weak” and “inconclusive” evidence. Trump has also taken it to his own platform “The Truth” saying “DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON.” However, still there is no strong scientific evidence to back this claim, and he himself is not a health professional.

The recent news coverage and attacks from the Trump Administration has created an intense concern for the Tylenol company. People are now refusing the product because of the panic concerning the recent reports. The first thing you will see when visiting the Tylenol website is a disclaimer regarding the recent news coverage of their product. There is also a customer service bar dedicated to research and questions any customer might have. Although they do not have the same leverage and media coverage as the White House, the company is working hard to fight back against these allegations. Mr Gomez, a science teacher at New Paltz High School, believes that these claims are “baloney” because, especially in science, “correlation does not cause causation”. Since the drug has been around for so long, Gomez says it has been profusely studied, and no such claims have ever been proven.

“If your child is born with autism, why does the government care?”

Bryan Gomez

The potential outcome of this product is not even bad. Besides increasing pain for pregnant women, it creates a stigma around the neurological condition of autism. Many factors contribute to the diagnosis of a child, however this does not mean that the child is not ideal. With the preventative measures that the White House is proposing, it creates shame around the neurodivergent community. President Trump wants mothers to believe that in not taking Tylenol during pregnancy they are doing their children a favor by avoiding this condition. However, even if there was scientific evidence to prove that acetaminophen causes autism, that doesn’t mean that your child is worth any less than any other neurotypical child. The President has repeatedly shown that he thinks higher of neurotypical children than the neurodiverse, through actions such as this, and communities see that. “If your child is born with autism, why does the government care?” Gomez said.

Medical communities are unable to combat the growing beliefs of the American people, which are created from fear. This allows for companies like Tylenol to become “dangerous” and a threat to the population, resulting in the spread of false information among our society.