How to design a better study on Tylenol use during pregnancy

On Monday, President Trump, flanked by the heads of the National Institutes for Health and the Food and Drug Administration, drew a clear link between autism and pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. He urged women to avoid the drug while pregnant unless “ absolutely necessary ,” claiming, “There’s no downside in not taking it.”

The White House pointed to a recent systematic review of 46 studies, in which authors urged caution in using the medication, recommending only “judicious acetaminophen use” following “medical consultation.” At the same time, many experts are stating the opposite. For example, a statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasized that pregnant patients “should not be frightened away from the man