When controversy drowns out common sense, mothers and babies pay the price
- Gary Moller
- Sep 25
- 7 min read
(First published 24th September, updated 25th September)
New Evidence Supports Caution for Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy
Linked With Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Introduction
In recent weeks, headlines have been dominated by claims and counterclaims about the safety of acetaminophen (paracetamol, Panadol, Tylenol) during pregnancy. The controversy was reignited when the Trump administration announced updates to medical guidance, noting published research that suggests links between prenatal use of this common painkiller and higher rates of autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
The pushback from media outlets and medical commentators has been swift and fierce. Words like “wild claims” and “dangerous misinformation” have been thrown about, often aimed at the messenger rather than the evidence itself.
Speculation:
Whether its Panadol, SSRI's, asthma meds, fluoride, mRNA drugs, or glyphosate, the pushback by authorties, mainstream media, and agencies such as the Medical Council is the same, or similar, all singing from the same song book: hysterical name-calling, and baltant cherry-picking of the research evidence, while sidelining dissident experts, often hounding them out of their profession. Why? Well, I think it is because, if the lies and harm were admitted of one, such as fluoride, then the public would be asking hard questions of other hotly disputed issues, such as vaccine injuries. If one falls, they all fall - the House of Cards.
By the way, while writing this article, my grammar-checking software wanted me to refer to "pregnant persons" and not "pregnant women". I continue to resist this kind of silliness. Factoid: Women have the babies, while persons like me contribute.
Back to the main topic of this article - refer here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/23/trump-promotes-unproven-ties-between-tylenol-vaccines-and-autism-without-new-evidence/
Not a single skerrit of evidence is offered in articles like the One News one to support this emotive pushback. Some of this pushback comes across to me as being almost hysterical in tone.
Yet the fact remains: dozens of peer-reviewed studies have reported associations between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental problems. At the same time, other studies find weaker or no associations, and health agencies continue to insist that acetaminophen is “safe when used as directed.”
Why is there such resistance to even modest caution? Why do media voices go straight to ridicule rather than sober discussion? You tell me - we had the same and continue to do so with the COVID pandemic respose and the highly questionable safety and effectivness of the experimental miracle gene-manipulating drug remedy that was imposed on the people of NZ. Just saying!
So, where exactly does the evidence stand—both for and against—continued widespread use of acetaminophen in pregnancy?
The latest systematic review gives us a clearer picture.
Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology
Abstract
Background: Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol, Tylenol, Panadol, Calpol, Mapap) is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever medication taken during pregnancy, with > 50% of pregnant women using acetaminophen worldwide. Numerous well-designed studies have indicated that pregnant mothers exposed to acetaminophen have children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), at higher rates than children of pregnant mothers who were not exposed to acetaminophen.
Conclusions:
Our analyses using the Navigation Guide thus support evidence consistent with an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of NDDs. Appropriate and immediate steps should be taken to advise pregnant women to limit acetaminophen consumption to protect their offspring’s neurodevelopment. (ehjournal.biomedcentral.com)
Make up your own mind
You can download the study here:
Why this matters
Pregnancy is a time of wonder, vulnerability, and responsibility. The body is doing extraordinary work, building another human being. Anything the mother takes—food, drink, air, medicine—can influence that building process.
This paper, published in August 2025, pulls together the best available data and finds a consistent association. Not proof of causation, but enough evidence to warrant caution, updated guidance, and clearer communication.
What the researchers found
46 studies were included.
27 studies reported positive associations (acetaminophen exposure linked to increased risk of NDDs).
9 studies showed no significant association.
4 studies suggested a protective effect (likely due to bias).
Higher-quality studies were more likely to show positive associations.
Risk seemed greatest for ADHD, but also present for ASD and other developmental, behavioural, and cognitive issues.
Some studies even showed dose–response patterns: more acetaminophen, longer duration, or later use in pregnancy meant higher risk.
The limits of the evidence
We must be honest about uncertainty:
Observational studies can’t fully prove causation. But they can be compelling warnings to take care.
Many rely on self-reporting, not biomarkers.
Sometimes it’s the reason for taking the medicine (fever, infection) that may itself affect risk.
Sibling-controlled studies have been less consistent, though often underpowered.
Still, the consistency across many large studies, and the biological plausibility, means the association can’t be dismissed.
Practical steps
Update medical guidelines and physician counselling Pregnant women should be told the truth: there is evidence of association with NDDs. Not to alarm, but to empower informed choice. Use the lowest effective dose, shortest duration, only when necessary.
Include warning labels Packaging should state that acetaminophen/paracetamol is best avoided unless essential in pregnancy, especially in later trimesters. Clear links should be made between the different names.
Make the names crystal clear Whether the packet says Panadol, Pamol, Paracare (NZ/UK), Tylenol, Mapap, Tempra (USA/Canada), Panadol, Herron, Dymadon (Australia), or Calpol (children’s syrups, UK and elsewhere) — they all contain the same ingredient: acetaminophen/paracetamol.
Support the body if use is unavoidable Acetaminophen is broken down in the liver, producing a toxic by-product (NAPQI) that depletes glutathione, our key cellular antioxidant. While all supplements in pregnancy should be discussed with a healthcare provider, these nutrients are worth considering as protective allies if medication use cannot be avoided.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is used in hospitals as the antidote for overdose because it restores glutathione. In safe doses, it may help buffer oxidative stress if acetaminophen must be taken.
Quercetin, abundant in New Zealand blackcurrants, onions, and apples, helps modulate inflammation and supports detoxification pathways.
Vitamin C, selenium, and glycine are also critical cofactors in the glutathione cycle, helping the body neutralise toxins and repair tissue.
Promote alternatives for fever and discomfort For mild discomfort, try rest, hydration, cooling measures, and physical therapies before reaching for pills. Go for a walk, do restful exercise, dance, meditate, swim. Relax in a warm bath. Use drugs only when absolutely necessary. Unless the fever is extreme, and prolonged, baby will be fine!
Fund more research Especially studies using biomarkers of exposure, long-term developmental follow-up, and better designs to account for confounding.
Public health communications Replace “safe for pregnancy” with “use with caution.” End the confusion by spelling out brand names and alternatives in plain language.
Different names, same medicine: Acetaminophen = Paracetamol
New Zealand & UK: Paracetamol (brands: Panadol, Pamol, Paracare)
USA & Canada: Acetaminophen (brands: Tylenol, Mapap, Tempra)
Australia: Paracetamol (brands: Panadol, Herron, Dymadon)
Children’s syrups: Pamol (NZ), Calpol (UK), Tempra (US)
No matter what the label says, they all contain the same active ingredient.
Supplement Support Insert
If use cannot be avoided, consider nutritional support (with medical guidance):
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — precursor to glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.
Quercetin — flavonoid antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, supports detoxification.
Vitamin C — regenerates antioxidants, reduces oxidative stress.
Selenium — cofactor for glutathione enzymes, protects brain and liver.
Glycine — required for glutathione synthesis.
These, taken daily in small doses cover all these bases:
Healthy mother - healthy baby!
You can add a dash of these to your daily smoothie as well for extra heath impact:
These are not substitutes for caution, but are nourishing support and may help the body cope with the toxic effects of medications, such as Acetaminophen.
Vaccines as a Confounding Factor
There is another layer to this debate that can’t be ignored. As Dr Philip Altman has pointed out, many pregnant women who are vaccinated often develop fever and are then advised to take acetaminophen because it has long been considered “safe” in pregnancy. In such cases, it becomes difficult to separate whether later neurodevelopmental problems in children are linked to the vaccine, the acetaminophen, or the combination of both. This remains an open scientific question and deserves rigorous study rather than dismissal.
He explains this in his Substack:
Adding weight to this concern, a large retrospective birth cohort from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit tracked 18,468 children—1,957 unvaccinated and 16,511 vaccinated. The findings were stark: vaccinated children were 2.5 times more likely to develop a chronic health condition compared with their unvaccinated peers, with the strongest associations for asthma, eczema, atopy, autoimmune disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders. By age 10, 83% of unvaccinated children were free of chronic disease, compared with only 43% of vaccinated children
While autism itself was not elevated in this dataset, developmental delay, ADHD, and speech disorders were all significantly more common among the vaccinated group. Taken together, this suggests that the current focus on acetaminophen alone may be too narrow, and that both vaccines and the drug—and especially their combined use—require urgent, unbiased investigation.
You can read the study yourself:
Final words
Too often, the media attacks the messenger instead of engaging with the evidence. When a public figure raises concerns about acetaminophen, critics shout “wild claims” while ignoring the growing body of published science.
We should not wait for perfect evidence while children’s futures are at stake. A precautionary approach is common sense: use less, use wisely, and strengthen the body’s natural defences.
Be free!
Be strong!
Be freerange!
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Pregnant women should always discuss medication and supplement use with a qualified healthcare professional.
In the USA, the attacks on those in government, the POTUS, and otherwise, who accept the fact of acetaminophen affecting pregnant women, fit perfectly with your "critics shout 'wild claims' while ignoring the growing body of published science."
Reading the original reports referring to this saga, the original report related to the incidence of autism following the use of paracetamol which was used to reduce fever in children and babies, the fever having been caused by vaccinations, either too young or too many at once. Somewhere along the way the reason for using paracetamol has been ignored. Rather than the paracetamol itself being the cause, the main cause is possibly more likely to be the vaccinations which caused the fever which resulted in the need for the paracetamol. In most cases studied, it appeared that the paracetamol had been used in that context, so it is likely a red herring, the more likely cause of the autism bein…