Mount Sinai Study Links Prenatal Acetaminophen Use to Autism and ADHD Risks

TL;DR (Quick Answers)

• What’s new? A 2025 Mount Sinai study finds prenatal acetaminophen (Tylenol®/paracetamol) use may increase autism and ADHD risks.
• How strong is the evidence? Gold-standard Navigation Guide Systematic Review across 46 studies and 100,000+ participants.
• Does it prove causation? No—association only; higher-quality studies showed stronger links.
• What should pregnant women do? Use cautiously, time-limited, lowest effective dose, and under medical supervision.
• Why it matters? Over half of pregnant women worldwide use acetaminophen; even small risks can have large public-health effects.

Mount Sinai’s 2025 Review: The Study at a Glance

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reviewed 46 international studies involving 100,000+ mother–child pairs. Published in BMC Environmental Health (August 13, 2025), this is the first meta-analysis in this space to apply the rigorous Navigation Guide framework.

Key findings:

• Prenatal acetaminophen exposure is associated with increased risks of autism and ADHD.
• Higher-quality studies were more likely to detect significant associations.
• Plausible mechanisms include oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and epigenetic changes that may affect fetal brain development.

Why This Matters During Pregnancy

Acetaminophen (Tylenol®, paracetamol) is the most-used over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic in pregnancy, taken by 50%+ of pregnant women worldwide for headache, fever, and general pain. Historically considered safer than NSAIDs late in pregnancy, the new analysis urges cautious, time-limited use under clinician guidance.