A newly published analysis indicates that there is no link between autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders and the use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient of Kenvue’s (KVUE) painkiller Tylenol, during pregnancy.
The review, based on 43 studies on the subject, focuses on whether there is a link between the use of acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and intellectual disability.
To arrive at the conclusions, the researchers explored databases such as ClinicalTrials.gov, from their inception to Sept. 30, to gather data on studies tagged with headings and keywords including “paracetamol,” “pregnancy,” “autism,” “neuropsychological,” and “outcome.”
“We found no clinically important increase in the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability,” said Dr. Asma Khalil, the lead author of the study and a professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at St. George’s Hospital, University of London.
Their findings come at a time when Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the former manufacturer of Tylenol, and Kenvue (KVUE), which took ownership of the business in 2023 following J&J’s consumer healthcare spinoff, confront public scrutiny over the analgesic’s autism link.
After President Donald Trump tied the popular over-the-counter medication to autism, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued J&J (JNJ) and Kenvue (KVUE), alleging that the companies’ marketing literature for the drug didn’t flag such a risk.
Since then, Kenvue (KVUE) has inked a buyout agreement to be acquired by Kimberly-Clark (KMB) in a cash and stock transaction worth $48.7B, including debt.
Acetaminophen remains “the first-line treatment that we would recommend if pregnant women have pain or fever in pregnancy,” Dr. Khalil said after their findings were published in the British medical journal The Lancet on Friday.