September 26, 2025 (Portland, Ore.) - The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) strongly condemns President Trump’s recent public statements advising pregnant women to “avoid Tylenol at all costs” and announcing plans for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require new warning labels against the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy. These claims are not supported by scientific evidence and risk undermining public trust in evidence-based care. Unfortunately, such false statements have become commonplace in this administration’s ongoing efforts to politicize health care and dismantle our nation’s public health infrastructure. 

The President’s statements appear to be yet another ideologically driven attack on public health designed to score cheap political points.  

There is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Suggesting otherwise spreads harmful misinformation, creates unnecessary fear among pregnant patients and families, and may lead to the undertreatment of pain and fever during pregnancy—both of which carry significant health risks for parents and babies. 

Frontline caregivers see firsthand the importance of safe, widely used treatments like acetaminophen. Untreated fever in pregnancy is a known risk factor for birth complications, while untreated pain can compromise both health and quality of life. Caregivers are bound by professional ethics to provide care that is safe, effective, and rooted in science—not politics or ideology. 

ONA stands firmly with the scientific community and public health leaders in rejecting attempts to politicize patient care or distort scientific consensus for political gain. 

We call on President Trump, his allies in Congress, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to respect science, protect public health, and support the frontline caregivers who care for patients and families across the country. Spreading unsubstantiated claims on issues as sensitive as maternal and child health is not good for patients, not good for caregivers, and not good for Oregonians.