Common depression drugs among those linked to autism after Trump’s bombshell Tylenol announcement

Autism rates in the US have increased approximately 380 percent since monitoring began in 2000, with recent data showing one in 31 children are affected. 

Health experts around the world have been trying to find a cause for the rapid rise, and last month President Donald Trump pointed to acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, as a potential factor despite inconclusive research. 

Experts stress that while studies have suggested a correlation between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and subsequent diagnosis of conditions like autism and ADHD, no definitive link has been found. A majority of professionals in the medical community have said the drug is safe to take.

In 2000, about 1 in 150 children received an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, according to the CDC. By 2020, that figure had climbed to 1 in 36 and then to 1 in 31 by 2022 (the most recent year for which data is available).

And a 2024 study of 12.2 million Americans’ health records revealed a 175 percent increase in autism diagnoses over an 11-year period. These increases reflect both greater awareness and evolving diagnostic criteria.

While some experts attribute the rise to expanded screening and reduced stigma, others argue that biological and environmental factors may also play a role. This debate continues to divide researchers.

Dr Nechama Sorscher, a pediatric neuropsychologist and psychotherapist, told the Daily Mail: ‘Research on acetaminophen and autism does not prove definitive causation. 

‘We see similar uncertainty with antiseizure medications, SSRIs, benzodiazepines and even antibiotics. 

‘That’s why leaders and scientists have a responsibility to share findings with honesty and context – acknowledging risks, emphasizing what’s not yet proven and giving families clear, balanced information so they can make informed decisions without unnecessary fear. 

‘Being pregnant is hard enough without fear mongering.’

Dr Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, said: ‘The health of the mother impacts the health of the fetus. A high fever in a mother does harm the fetus, and Tylenol, with no known causative link to autism, would most certainly be indicated [as treatment].’

In other cases, such as with mental health issues, Saltz said it may ‘be harmful to withhold medication… from the pregnant woman’ that has otherwise been ‘found to be safe.’

However, she stressed that not all medications are safe to take during pregnancy and some have been linked ‘to disorders that affect various organ systems, including the brain, at different times in fetal development.’

Any impact on the brain during development could raise the risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism.

Below, the Daily Mail details other medications that have been linked to autism, though study results have been inconclusive. 

SSRIs 

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) include Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Celexa. They are prescribed to treat anxiety and depression. About 19 million American adults take an SSRI.

Approximately eight to 10 percent of pregnant women in the US are thought to take antidepressants each year. This means an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 fetuses are exposed to these drugs annually in the womb.

One 2015 Quebec-based study warned that women who take SSRI antidepressants such as sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) during pregnancy have a higher risk of birthing an autistic child. 

The investigation of 145,500 pregnancies found that the absolute risk remains small. Only one in every 82 children – 1.2 percent – were diagnosed with autism.

Still, that risk is 87 percent higher than for children whose mothers did not take SSRIs.

The FDA does not issue a blanket warning against taking SSRIs, and the professional medical consensus is that the decision to use antidepressants during pregnancy requires a careful weighing of the medication’s risks against the significant dangers of untreated mental illness.

Around one in seven women experience perinatal or postpartum depression, which can begin during pregnancy or after childbirth. 

Canadian scientist and professor Anick Bérard, who led the research on the impact of these drugs on fetal development, said: ‘Our study has established that taking antidepressants during the second or third trimester of pregnancy almost doubles the risk that the child will be diagnosed with autism by age seven, especially if the mother takes… SSRIs.’

Data shows that the use of antidepressants in the US has increased significantly in the last decade. 

A 2020 report from the CDC found that antidepressant use among adults grew by 30 percent between 2009 and 2018. The increase was driven primarily by women, while use among men stayed relatively flat.

Bérard suspected that a baby’s development is affected by the pills because they would increase serotonin levels in the brain.

‘It is biologically plausible that antidepressants are causing autism if used at the time of brain development in the womb, as serotonin is involved in numerous pre- and postnatal developmental processes, including cell division, the migration of neuros, cell differentiation and synaptogenesis – the creation of links between brain cells.’

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone and cortisone, are taken by millions of pregnant women around the world. 

It is estimated two to three percent of the population are currently prescribed glucocorticoids, with prednisone, triamcinolone acetonide and methylprednisolone being the most popular in the US.

However, some research suggests that they raise the risk of autism in children when taken by pregnant mothers.

A 2025 study from researchers in Denmark suggested glucocorticoids could harm the developing brains of babies. 

Researchers looked at the development of more than 1 million infants born between 1996 and 2016. 

Of the 1.1 million children, more than 300,000 were exposed to glucocorticoids in the womb.

Children of mothers at risk of preterm delivery who took the drugs were 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism than those whose mothers did not. 

The risk of intellectual disabilities and ADHD was 30 percent higher in the exposed group of children. And mood, anxiety and stress-related disorders were 50 percent higher.

For the children of mothers with autoimmune or inflammatory disorders who took the medications, the risk of autism and ADHD was 30 percent higher, while mood problems and intellectual disabilities were 40 percent higher.

Glucocorticoids mimic the stress hormone cortisol. Prolonged periods of high cortisol can promote chronic inflammation, which can cause cellular damage.  

Betamethasone and dexamethasone are synthetic glucocorticoid steroids which pass through the placenta. They are prescribed to pregnant women at risk of preterm births because they help with fetal organ development and maturation.

The drugs are also given to pregnant women suffering from autoimmune or inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and asthma because they dampen immune response.

The researchers say their data supports ‘continued caution’ in the use of glucocorticoids in pregnant women and say alternative drugs ‘might be safer… but evidence is lacking and more research is needed.’

Epilepsy drugs

Women who take epilepsy drugs during pregnancy may be significantly more likely to have a child with autism or learning difficulties, research suggests. 

Epilepsy drugs are prescribed to manage seizure disorders. But they can also be used off-label to manage mental health disorders and chronic migraine, as well. 

Topiramate and valproate are among the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat epilepsy. While it is not clear how many expectant mothers in the US take them, around 25,000 American women with epilepsy give birth every year. 

One in 200 pregnant women require anti-seizure medication during pregnancy – a figure that is on the rise. Those who stop taking the drugs before or during pregnancy are at risk of having uncontrolled seizures and dying.

Doctors and patients are put in a difficult position as some epilepsy medications are known to trigger mental or physical defects in babies, researchers say.

A 2022 study from researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway of 4.5 million children found rates of autism and learning difficulties were much higher in children whose mothers were on topiramate or valproate.

The overall incidence of autism and learning disabilities in children born to women not on the drugs was 1.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. Rates were higher for children born to mothers who took topiramate during pregnancy (4.3 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively) and valproate (2.7 percent and 2.4 percent).

But the researchers found the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders after exposure to other epilepsy medications ‘remains uncertain despite their frequent use.’

The researchers spotted no higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders among babies exposed to eight other popular anti-epilepsy drugs when taken on their own.

These were: lamotrigine, levetiracetam, carbamazepin, oxcarbazepine, gapapentin, pregabalin, clonazepam and phenobarbital.

 

Antibiotics  

Antibiotics represent the most common type of medication used during pregnancy and infancy.

In 2023, a large-scale Swedish study found an association between both maternal and early-life antibiotic use and an increased risk of autism, with the association varying based on the type, quantity and timing of antibiotic exposure. 

A primary theory behind this link involves the gut microbiome. Antibiotics can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, which plays a role in immunity and brain development via the ‘gut-brain axis.’  

In the study, researchers looked at 125,106 mothers who were dispensed one or more antibiotic from three months before conception to up to delivery. They then looked at 201,040 children of those mothers, aged 11 and younger at the time of the study, who had received an antibiotic at or before age 2. 

Penicillin was the most prescribed antibiotic class (18 percent of mothers and 38 percent of children).

Maternal antibiotic use was associated with a 16 percent increased risk of autism, while early-life exposure to antibiotics showed an association at 46 percent. 

The researchers said further analysis revealed that as the dose or frequency of antibiotic use increased, the risk of autism also increased.

They concluded: ‘Maternal and early-life antibiotic use was associated with an increased risk of autism and ADHD in childhood. However, differences were noted by exposure period and antibiotic classes.’

A recent study by the University of Southern California also revealed that autistic children have distinctly different bacteria in their stomachs compared to kids without the condition.

And antibiotics are known to cause major changes to the body’s microbiome, a network of bacteria that regulate digestion and other processes. 

Further supporting the theory of the ‘gut-brain axis,’ the researchers say these changes to the microbiome lead to changes in parts of the brain associated with behavior and learning.

Diet and other environmental exposures in the womb have also been linked to harmful microbiome changes in babies.

However, experts repeatedly stress that there is no ‘one cause’ of autism and any ’cause’ is multi-factorial. They urge the public, and officials, to approach this type of research with caution and remember that there are other studies showing no association between medications and autism.