Credits: 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Overview: The healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, and clinicians are navigating conflicting guidance on established, evidence-based recommendations. Recent news suggest acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is not the consensus of medical experts based on available data. When guidance from various sources conflicts with established research, clinicians face challenges in providing evidence-based care. Join us to review the current evidence on acetaminophen and ASD risk. 

Episode resource links:

Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205–1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172

Damkier, P., Gram, E. B., Ceulemans, M., Panchaud, A., Cleary, B., Chambers, C., Weber-Schoendorfer, C., Kennedy, D., Hodson, K., Grant, K. S., Diav-Citrin, O., Običan, S. G., Shechtman, S., & Alwan, S. (2025). Acetaminophen in Pregnancy and Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Obstetrics and gynecology, 145(2), 168–176. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005802

Ji Y, Azuine RE, Zhang Y, et al. Association of Cord Plasma Biomarkers of In Utero Acetaminophen Exposure With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Childhood. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(2):180–189. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3259

Hirota T, King BH.  Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. JAMA. 2023;329(2):157–168. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.23661

Liu, X., Zou, M., Sun, C., Wu, L., & Chen, W. X. (2022). Prenatal Folic Acid Supplements and Offspring's Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 52(2), 522–539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04951-8

DSM-5-TR: Neurocognitive Disorders Supplement; October 2022. https://psychiatryonline.org/pb-assets/dsm/update/DSM-5-TR_Neurocognitive-Disorders-Supplement_2022_APA_Publishing.pdf

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/06/nx-s1-5532143/hhs-responds-to-report-about-autism-and-acetaminophen

Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C

Thoughts? Suggestions? Email us at [email protected]