Last week, researchers from City St Georges published a ‘gold-standard’ paper showing there is no connection between taking paracetamol during pregnancy and having a baby that is autistic, has ADHD, or has a learning disability.

Professor Asma Khalil led the research, considered ‘the most rigorous analysis of the evidence to date’. She is a professor of obstetrics and maternal foetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London. The team ran a meta-analysis, which reviews existing studies on a topic. Meta-analyses help create robust evidence, as they analyse findings from numerous studies.

The researchers reviewed 43 studies, looking at health data from hundreds of thousands of pregnancies. These studies compared the data between siblings where the parent had taken paracetamol during one pregnancy, but not another. Sibling comparison studies are considered the highest quality on this topic, as they account for genetics, which is the most likely factor in determining whether someone is likely to be neurodivergent.

When analysing the highest-quality research, the researchers found no link between taking paracetamol as needed during pregnancy and having a neurodivergent baby. Read the research here.

In autumn 2025, the Trump Administration stated that taking paracetamol during pregnancy increases the chance of the baby becoming autistic. Misinformation like this may mean some pregnant people don’t take paracetamol when they need it, when paracetamol is the first-choice painkiller if someone is pregnant. Treating pain or fever is important. Avoiding treatment can sometimes pose risks to both the pregnant parent and baby.

If you are pregnant, you should follow NHS guidance and the advice of qualified medical practitioners.

Dr Amanda Roestorf, our director of research, said: