The leading group of obstetricians in the nation strongly defends the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, while neglecting to disclose its reliance on donations from the drug’s manufacturer in its statements.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued repeated statements on social media in recent days, using emphatic language such as “SCIENCE IS CLEAR” to reassure pregnant women about acetaminophen’s safety.
ACOG has flooded its Instagram account with posts defending the drug, many without direct citations.
ACOG’s President, Steven J. Fleischman, released a formal statement on September 22 saying that “suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible.”
Yet ACOG’s own 2024–2025 support catalog shows that Johnson & Johnson, the former manufacturer of Tylenol that maintains a financial stake in the current manufacturer, Kenvue, is one of its two largest donors, alongside Moderna. Each contributed between $100,000 and $250,000.
Kenvue became “fully independent” from Johnson & Johnson on August 23, 2023, according to a company release, although Johnson & Johnson maintained a 9.5% stake in its outstanding shares at the time.
ACOG’s response comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s announcement made on Monday, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by his side, regarding a new federal report that associates the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy with autism in children.
Trump urged women to avoid Tylenol during pregnancy, warning, “So ideally, you don’t take it at all,” The Dallas Express reported.
Missives from the organization have continued to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women, some of which are made by Moderna, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ceasing to recommend these shots for pregnant women earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported.
In its September 22 statement, Fleischman said “in more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children.” He cited two recent studies, including one in JAMA, that he said found “no significant associations between use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.”
However, this study was somewhat limited in scope. The authors of the study acknowledged that the available data “only recorded whether a birthing parent used acetaminophen, without regard to dose, duration, or timing.”
Nevertheless, Fleischman indicated his feeling that acetaminophen is safe and effective for pregnant women.“Acetaminophen is one of the few options available to pregnant patients to treat pain and fever, which can be harmful to pregnant people when left untreated,” Fleischman said. He added that conditions like maternal fever and headaches linked to preeclampsia are more dangerous than any “theoretical risks” of the medicine.
The organization’s financial picture is also changing. ACOG recently announced it would no longer accept federal funding, citing policy disputes with the government.
An organization spokesman said the decision was made after “careful deliberation” about new laws that “significantly impact ACOG’s program goals, policy positions, and ability to provide timely and evidence-based guidance and recommendations for care,” in a statement to MedPage.
The ACOG Foundation, its nonprofit arm, reportedly received nearly $1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services this year, as well as more than $1 million annually in 2023 and 2024.
The foundation reportedly received over $12 million in taxpayer dollars in 2021, according to World.
The financial break followed Trump’s orders, stopping federal funding supporting abortions and rescinding policies from federal health agencies that promoted transgender medical interventions for children.
Kenvue shares fell after Trump’s announcement but began to recover Tuesday morning (the time of this writing), per Bloomberg.
The Dallas Express reached out to ACOG for comment, but a spokesperson did not return comment by the time of publication.