President Donald Trump recently told pregnant women to stay away from Tylenol.
At a White House press conference, he said, “I want to say it like it is, don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. His warning was blunt, but doctors quickly questioned whether he went too far.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has now weighed in with a much different message.
Speaking on NewsNation’s CUOMO, Oz said Tylenol is safe when it is truly needed, but should not be taken for small problems.
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“If a woman’s got a high fever, if she’s got bad aches and pains, it makes sense to take a medication like Tylenol,” Oz said. “But if she’s got mild aches or pains, if she’s got a mild fever, she should not happily pop an acetaminophen or Tylenol tablet.”
Dr. Oz admits that if a pregnant woman “has a high fever, if she’s got bad aches and pains, it makes sense to take a medication like Tylenol” pic.twitter.com/yVMt9GXC3n
— FactPost (@factpostnews) September 26, 2025
Oz said his team reviewed 46 studies on acetaminophen use in pregnancy. Some studies suggested there might be a link to autism, but he admitted the research is not proof. He said it would take “at least five more years of research” to know for sure.
Trump, however, has spoken as if the case is already closed. He even tied Tylenol to vaccines, warning parents to be very careful. His language has been absolute, unlike Oz’s cautious tone.
This week, Trump repeated his message again. He said autism cases are rising quickly and called Tylenol use in pregnancy a “public health crisis.” Health groups pushed back, saying his claims were not supported by science. Some doctors added that scaring women away from Tylenol completely could make things worse if fevers go untreated, since high fevers can also be dangerous for unborn children.
Oz kept a steadier approach. He said the government should be transparent about possible risks but avoid fueling panic.
To drive the point home, he asked researchers a personal question: “If your wife was pregnant, would you recommend that she cut back and use as little of the acetaminophen Tylenol as possible, or not?” He said most of them answered, “Yeah, why would you take more than you need to?”
The difference in tone is hard to miss.
Oz also spoke about leucovorin, a prescription drug that may help some children with autism better absorb folate, a key B vitamin. He noted that studies with about 250 children showed roughly half experienced some improvement. Still, he said more research would be needed before doctors can be certain.
Featured image via X screengrab
