When the U.S. president claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could cause autism in a person’s offspring, it reignited a deeper conversation about how little we know about medication safety for pregnant people. In this episode, Scientific American senior health editor Tanya Lewis explains why pregnant individuals are routinely excluded from clinical trials—and how that gap in research puts millions at risk. 



Recommended Reading

Nobody Knows How Tylenol Really Works

Is Tylenol Safe for Children?

Does Tylenol Use during Pregnancy Cause Autism? What the Research Shows



E-mail us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.



Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ver todos los episodios