ScienceMarch 6, 2026

What Happened to Tylenol Use in Pregnancy: A Short Guide

Key Vocabulary

acetaminophen/əˌsiːtəˈmɪnəfən/
a common pain and fever medicine (Tylenol)
"She took acetaminophen for her headache."
pregnant/ˈprɛɡnənt/
having a baby developing in the body
"The doctor asked how the pregnant patient felt."
fever/ˈfiːvər/
a high body temperature when someone is sick
"A fever can be dangerous in early pregnancy."

Listening

What Happened to Tylenol Use in Pregnancy: A Short Guide

In September 2025, the president told pregnant women not to take Tylenol. After those remarks, US emergency rooms ordered less acetaminophen for pregnant patients. A study found orders fell by 10 percent in the almost three months after the comments.

Doctors and groups said the science is not clear that acetaminophen causes autism. Health officials still say fever in pregnancy can be dangerous, and pregnant women should talk with their doctors before stopping medicine. The study used data from the Epic electronic record system and looked at many hospital visits. Some hospitals also saw more prescriptions for leucovorin, another drug, after the White House statements.

105 words

Quiz

1. When did the president tell pregnant women not to take Tylenol?
2. By how much did ER orders for acetaminophen fall?
3. Which electronic record system provided the data for the study?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

1

Do you ever worry about taking medicine during pregnancy? What do you do?

2

Have you or someone you know had to treat a fever while pregnant? What happened?

3

What do you think when leaders speak about health topics in public?

This content is for English learning purposes and does not guarantee factual accuracy.