The manufacturer of Tylenol on Thursday clarified an old social media post that said it doesn’t “actually recommend” using its products while pregnant, which the Trump administration resurfaced following its assertion this week that the over-the-counter pain reliever could be linked to autism.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted a post by Tylenol from 2017 on then-Twitter in which it wrote, “We don’t actually recommend using any of our products while pregnant.”
This comes after President Trump and his health officials announced Monday that they would be recommending against the use of acetaminophen for pregnant women, the active ingredient in Tylenol, on the basis that it might cause autism. The guidance was given despite no causal evidence indicating a connection.
Social media users quickly pounced on the old post, as Tylenol manufacturer Kenvue has maintained that its product is safe for pregnant women to take in the wake of the administration’s claims.
Kenvue responded to the old post, saying Thursday in a statement, “This is being taken out of context – we do not make recommendations on taking any medications in pregnancy because that is the job of a healthcare provider.”
“This eight-year-old consumer response is incomplete and did not address our full guidance on the safe use of Tylenol which has not changed,” the company added, reiterating, “We recommend pregnant women do not take any over-the-counter medication, including acetaminophen, without talking to their doctor first.”
“It’s also worth noting that it was in response to a tweet that was deleted by the author (not by Kenvue/Tylenol). That’s why you can’t see the full thread,” Kenvue added.
Medical organizations have backed acetaminophen’s safety for pregnant women, with both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) maintaining it is safe.
“Despite assertions to the contrary, a thorough review of existing research suggesting a potential link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has not established a causal relationship,” the SMFM said in a statement this week.
