You may be hearing a lot about Tylenol these days, including a study that connects use during pregnancy to birthing autistic children. However, even the author of the study cautions that the data doesn’t quite say what some have claimed.
Nonetheless, parents are worried. Pregnant moms are afraid that maybe they shouldn’t take Tylenol for pain and fever, or that they’ll be blamed if their child is autistic. Some parents are even worrying about whether it’s safe to give their children Tylenol.
With any medication, there are some people who should not take it, and there are guidelines to keep the dosage safe and effective. If you’re not sure about taking Tylenol or giving it to your child, you should talk to your doctor, but here’s what you should know first.
What Is Tylenol, Anyway? Why Do We Take It?
Tylenol is a brand name for a pain reliever called acetaminophen or paracetamol. It carries out two important tasks: reducing fever and pain. According to Tufts Medical School, the fever-blocking mechanism likely involves blocking an enzyme in the brain, causing the body’s temperature to ‘reset.’
As for pain relief, it helps to remember that no matter where your pain is, the perception is in your brain. That same enzyme-blocking seems to disrupt the pain message — so it’s not actually healing your stubbed toe or backache, but it makes you feel better.
This matters, because pain can inhibit the healing process. When you’re in pain, you may not eat properly, move your body normally, sleep well, or go through other basic functions in a way conducive to healing. In other words, pain relief isn’t healing, but it can be necessary for healing. Also, you deserve to exist without pain, or at least with controlled pain, including when you’re recovering from surgery, healing from an injury, or carrying a pregnancy.
Fever reduction is also important, since high fevers can be damaging, and a high fever during pregnancy can definitely be dangerous to the baby!
Tylenol (by its brand name or generics) differs from other common pain meds in that it isn’t anti-inflammatory.
In other words, when you take Ibuprofen, for instance, it helps your sore back (for instance) both by blocking that pain response in the brain, and by reducing any swelling that might be taking place. Tylenol doesn’t address inflammation.
NSAIDS — non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs — like Ibuprofen are not recommended during pregnancy, especially in later trimesters, because they can affect the baby’s kidneys and heart. That’s why Tylenol is typically the recommended pain and fever medication during pregnancy.
So, Is It Safe? What Did That Study Say, Anyway?
If you’re concerned about the safety of Tylenol during pregnancy, you should double-check with your doctor that it is safe for you. It is still considered the safest pain med during pregnancy for most people, and exceptions generally center around those with serious liver conditions and those who regularly consume large amounts of alcohol.
The key here is understanding the difference between correlation and causation. The study recently referenced is actually an analysis of many studies, and not all showed any link at all. Speaking to Politico, a co-author of the paper said:
‘Twenty-seven studies from around the world reported a positive [link]. Nine reported no association, and four reported a protective effect. The higher-quality the studies, the stronger the link.”
What could this mean? It might mean that Tylenol has an effect that increases the likelihood of autism, such as affecting how a certain gene is expressed.
However, it could mean that moms carrying fetuses with the genes for autism are more likely to take Tylenol during pregnancy. Autism has high comorbidity with some conditions, like hypermobility, that can be associated with chronic pain, so it’s possible that a mom carrying an autistic baby is more likely to have a genetic predisposition to some of these conditions. (A lot of adults don’t get their own autism diagnoses until they recognize the traits they share with their diagnosed kids!)
Or, it could mean something else entirely. Right now, we don’t know — but we do know there isn’t strong evidence for a causal link. In short, we do not have any good evidence that Tylenol causes autism. We do have good evidence that genetics cause autism, though.
How Is This Hurting Moms?
Promoting unproven theories about links between the only OTC pain medication that’s typically considered safe during pregnancy and birthing autistic children is damaging and dangerous.
The most obvious and direct result is increasing the risk that pregnant women won’t take pain meds if they need them. Let’s be clear: fever during pregnancy should be treated, unless your doctor says otherwise. Stress during pregnancy can be harmful to mother and baby, and untreated pain is stressful.
Unnecessary suffering is not healthy for a pregnant person or the baby she’s carrying.
Moms are also pretty frustrated with being told that their kids’ neurotypes are their ‘fault.’ The message being received is, “You caused this, moms.”
Rolling Stone quoted one mom who said:
“I blamed myself. What did I eat? What did I drink? It’s really traumatizing to hear them blame [autism] on Tylenol, thereby blaming it on the woman. The mother: the one responsible for carrying life. It’s always, somehow, our fault.”
Another mom referenced the genetic link and medical history of both moms and dads, and suggested the claims “gloss over” the fact that factors from both parents influence children’s genetics and diagnoses.
What About Tylenol For Children?
The next fear that rises is with regard to giving Tylenol to your kids.
After all, if there’s a fear that it could cause developmental differences during the fetal stage, the next logical concern is safety during childhood.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is answering that question. They’ve released a new statement reassuring parents that Tylenol is safe for children when taken as directed. (The org also emphasizes that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between Tylenol and autism.)
That means that Tylenol (or generic versions) shouldn’t be given to children under 12 weeks of age without the advice of a pediatrician, and that Tylenol may not be necessary for fever in older babies unless they’re showing signs of discomfort or having difficulty staying hydrated.
However, when needed for fever or pain, it’s generally safe and appropriate to give kids a dose as recommended on packaging. In some cases, your doctor may recommend alternating between acetaminophen and ibuprofen (only for babies older than 6 months) for persistent fevers, because you shouldn’t give more than 4 doses in a 24-hour period.
It’s always appropriate to check with your child’s pediatrician when you have questions or concerns about the safety or dosage of any medication!