FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Hawai‘i–American Nurses Association Rejects Administration’s Unsupported Claims Linking Acetaminophen to Autism Honolulu, HI — September 24, 2025

The Hawai‘i–American Nurses Association (Hawai‘i-ANA) soundly rejects President Trump’s September 22 remarks urging pregnant people, “Don’t take Tylenol if you’re pregnant, and don’t give Tylenol to your child,” and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed label warnings against acetaminophen use during pregnancy. These claims are reckless, unfounded, and not supported by credible scientific evidence.

Instead of protecting families, such statements risk instilling fear, confusing patients, and undermining safe clinical care. Acetaminophen remains the safest and most effective treatment for pain and fever in pregnancy when used as directed. Fever itself, left untreated, poses significant risks to fetal health.

Evidence-Based Reality

• No causal link confirmed: While some studies have raised questions, comprehensive reviews—including a 2021 consensus statement in Nature Reviews Endocrinology (Bauer et al., 2021)—conclude that research identifies “associations” but does not establish causation between acetaminophen use and autism spectrum disorder.
• Safe management of fever is critical: Untreated fever during pregnancy is linked to adverse health outcomes such as preterm labor and congenital complications. Acetaminophen is recommended by clinicians worldwide as first-line management.
• Alternatives are riskier: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) present documented risks during pregnancy, including fetal kidney dysfunction and low amniotic fluid, particularly after 20 weeks (FDA, 2020).

The Danger of Politicized Health Guidance

“The Administration’s claims place ideology over science and endanger both maternal healthcare and public trust,” said Hawai‘i-ANA Executive Director Elizabeth Kahakua, BSN, RN. “When political leaders spread misinformation about widely used medications, frontline providers are left to bridge the gap between fear-driven rhetoric and evidence-based practice. This strains care delivery and puts patients at unnecessary risk.”

“My mother lost a child to thalidomide, in an era when medicine ignored women’s safety in favor of politics and profit. We cannot return to a time when ideology overrides evidence. Spreading fear about Tylenol without scientific basis puts pregnant people at risk and continues a long, dangerous pattern of undermining women’s health, safety, and comfort,” said Hawai’i-ANA Director at Large Kara Gormont, RN, BSN, HSMP-MHA, BE-CNE, FACHE.

“Health policy should always be guided by sound scientific research and factual evidence,” added Denise Cohen, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, President of Hawai‘i-ANA.

 

Hawai‘i-ANA stresses that politicized misinformation about essential treatments compromises maternal and child health, erodes trust in healthcare, and directly interferes with safe, effective patient care.

Our Commitment

As the professional voice for nursing in Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i-ANA affirms:

• To protect the health and well-being of patients and families.
• To promote care rooted in science and quality research.
• To educate communities with evidence-based information.
• To advocate for public health policy driven by facts.

Guided by the ANA Code of Ethics—“The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient”—Hawai‘i nurses cannot and will not remain silent when misinformation threatens our patients.

“Patients and providers deserve clarity, not confusion, when it comes to safe, essential treatments,” added Kahakua.

References

1. Bauer, A. Z., et al. (2021). Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7
2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Clinical Guidance, 2021. https://www.acog.org/
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug Safety Communication, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-recommends-avoiding-use-nsaids-pregnant-women-20-weeks-or-later-because-they-can-result-low
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medications and Pregnancy. https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/meds/index.html