Women’s Health Loddon Mallee (WHLM) joins Australia’s leading health experts in rejecting President Trump’s false assertions about taking paracetamol while pregnant and the risks of diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. These claims are deeply irresponsible and harmful, particularly to women, pregnant people and their unborn children.
According to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) “robust scientific evidence shows no causal links between the use of paracetamol in pregnancy and autism or ADHD, with several large and reliable studies directly contradicting these claims”. The scientific evidence is clear – paracetamol remains safe for use in pregnancy.
Misleading claims like those made by President Trump erode trust in healthcare, discourage people from seeking necessary treatment and fuel stigma against already marginalised groups. They also compromise global efforts, including United Nations initiatives to reduce maternal mortality rates under Sustainable Development Goal 3. Misinformation about pregnancy treatments risks reversing progress in global maternal health.
WHLM affirms that neurodivergence isn’t something that needs fixing. It can’t be prevented – and it doesn’t need to be. Autism is a natural variation in human genetics that influences how individuals receive, process, and communicate sensory information. While these differences can become disabling due to external factors, they are not inherently negative. By creating supportive and inclusive environments, we can empower people on the autism spectrum, and these changes often benefit everyone.
WHLM calls for:
- Evidence-based public health messaging from public figures and media outlets that respects the autonomy and intelligence of pregnant people
- Greater media accountability in reporting disinformation and misinformation health claims and labelling such claims as medically unfounded
- Strengthening of both media and political accountability by prioritising the reporting of evidence based and trusted sources of health information
- Community leaders to actively counter deliberate disinformation that is causing real harm to the public
- A rejection of gendered blame and a recommitment to science, equity and empathy
- Health services and information provision to be respectful, inclusive, and supportive of all people, including those who are neurodiverse.
People who have concerns about medication use in pregnancy are advised to discuss any concerns with their healthcare professionals like a midwife or doctor.
Learn more by visiting the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG by reading their college statement here https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/paracetamol-use-in-pregnancy/