We all want answers, especially when it comes to our children’s health, but we need to be clear about whether something is the chicken or the egg. Just because we find a correlation between a medicine and a disease, does not mean that we have a cause. It just means that we are on to something and need to keep the hounds chasing it. That is definitely true when it comes to understanding whether a recent study linking a common fever medicine and pain killer with autism and ADHD in our upcoming generation.
Now, lets start with the fact that I am no defender of Big Pharma and its panoply of drugs for everything that ails you. Big Pharma as a whole is about big money, though many individuals involved in it are working to help people overcome suffering and illness. At the same time, I appreciate what some medicines can do for various illnesses and recommend many on a regular basis. I simply want to approach it from a balanced viewpoint whether the reality uncovers good or bad.
With this in mind, we need to avoid immediately going to our medicine cabinet and trashing all acetaminophen products. Yes, this study did link this ultra-common medication with autism and ADHD in children, but it did not prove that it caused the conditions. It could simply be the fact that those who need to take such medications during pregnancy have something that also puts them at risk for autism and ADHD development in their children. For example, pregnant moms with fever are more likely to take acetaminophen. Is it the fever or the medication? We don’t yet know.
On the other hand, we do have reasons to suspect that the medication could be the direct problem. The drug does cross the placental barrier and reach the baby. It has also been shown to increase oxidative stress. It can affect hormone levels. It can cause epigenetic changes in the baby, meaning it changes how the baby’s genes are expressed during brain development.
Altogether, we should at least advise pregnant moms to consider whether they really need that acetaminophen dose or not. Maybe they can tolerate that fever of 100, that mild headache, or maybe use a different treatment. On the other hand, a 104 fever which prevents mom from staying hydrated or eating enough for a few days of an illness may necessitate a small, short-term risk. At the very least, the mom needs to know that risk exists so she can make the best decision for herself and her pregnancy.
Helping others live healthier, more abundant lives requires working through these questions carefully both at the research level and the application level. That is what we are here for at Sanctuary.
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Original Article:
Diddier Prada, Beate Ritz, Ann Z. Bauer, Andrea A. Baccarelli. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environmental Health, 2025; 24 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0
Thanks to Science Daily:
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “A safe painkiller? New research raises concerns about Tylenol’s safety in pregnancy.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 August 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821004246.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
Dr. Eric Potter graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and then went on to specialize in internal medicine (adult) and pediatric care, spending significant time and effort in growing his medical understanding while caring for patients from all walks of life.
