Sibling Analysis Blunts Link Between Prenatal Tylenol and Autism in Large Taiwan Study
Mar 10th 2026
A Taiwan cohort study found modest links between prenatal acetaminophen prescriptions and ADHD and autism in the full sample, but those links disappeared in sibling comparisons, with further sibling analyses pointing to unresolved bias and the need for more research.
- Nationwide cohort of 2,092,926 singleton births found small associations between prenatal acetaminophen prescriptions and ADHD and ASD in the full cohort.
- Sibling-matched analyses in more than 1.2 million children reduced those associations to null.
- Further sibling tests showed inconsistent results by birth order, suggesting unmeasured bias in the sibling design.
- Study used prescription records only and did not capture over-the-counter acetaminophen, which limits exposure measurement.
- Major obstetrics groups continue to endorse acetaminophen for pregnancy-related pain and fever, and authors call for more research to resolve remaining bias concerns.