Oregon health care workers refer to Trump’s Tylenol claims as ‘harmful misinformation’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon health care workers have rejected President Donald Trump’s claims against acetaminophen.

The claims have “become commonplace in this administration’s ongoing efforts to politicize health care and dismantle our nation’s public health infrastructure,” according to a statement the Oregon Nurses Association released on Friday.

Trump and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advised pregnant people against using the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, commonly known under the brand name Tylenol, during a White House press conference on Monday. The president also announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would immediately begin informing doctors that the usage of acetaminophen during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of autism.

“There is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders,” ONA said. “Suggesting otherwise spreads harmful misinformation, creates unnecessary fear among pregnant patients and families, and may lead to the undertreatment of pain and fever during pregnancy — both of which carry significant health risks for parents and babies. “

The organization noted that untreated fevers increase the risk of birth complications and untreated pain can impact overall health and quality of life throughout a pregnancy.

Additionally, several health care organizations like the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists have cited studies that previously found any claims linking autism to acetaminophen use were “inconclusive.”

The FDA has long advised people against using “NSAIDS,” or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil and Midol, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but physicians have highlighted Tylenol as a safer over-the-counter medication.

And while the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health previously noted that autism diagnoses have risen by about 300% in the past 20 years, experts have attributed the increase to the expanded diagnostic criteria and to public health programs that have encouraged screenings.