In late September 2025, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump revived a series of controversial health claims and policy proposals concerning women especially pregnant women and children, triggering sharp pushback from medical experts, public health authorities, and advocacy groups.
What Trump Has Advised
At a White House press event and via subsequent Truth Social posts, Trump urged pregnant women to avoid using Tylenol (acetaminophen) unless “absolutely necessary,” citing an alleged link between its use and autism in children. He also renewed calls to disrupt the standard childhood immunization schedule by:
- Recommending that vaccines such as the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox be administered in separate doses rather than in combination.
- Suggesting the Hepatitis B vaccine should be delayed until children reach age 12 or older.
- Advocating that vaccines be spaced out into multiple doctor visits rather than given on consolidated schedules.
Trump also questioned whether the Hepatitis B vaccine should be given at birth, characterizing the virus as sexually transmitted an assertion widely contradicted by medical authorities.
Additionally, Trump has endorsed using leucovorin, a folinic acid derivative, as a potential treatment for autism in children, linking it to theories around folate deficiency.
Broader Policy Moves Affecting Women and Children
Beyond medical claims, the Trump administration has continued to roll out social and policy directives influencing women and minors:
- Under Executive Order 14187, the administration significantly restricted gender-affirming care for minors (such as hormone therapy and surgery), labelling it “chemical and surgical mutilation” and cutting federal funding to institutions providing such services.
- In January 2025, Trump also issued Executive Order 14168, framing so-called “gender ideology” as extremist content, and directed federal agencies to purge references to nonbinary gender options and alter federal forms accordingly.
- The newly formed MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) commission, chaired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has released a “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” that calls for increased regulation of processed foods, closer scrutiny of fluoridation, and scepticism about aspects of vaccines, Wi-Fi, and pesticide safety.
Reception from Medical and Public Health Authorities
The scientific community has overwhelmingly criticized Trump’s health pronouncements as unsubstantiated, potentially dangerous, and damaging to public trust:
- Organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine denounced the Tylenol-autism claims as misleading and lacking robust evidence.
- The FDA and NIH have reiterated that acetaminophen remains considered safe during pregnancy when used appropriately. The FDA has, however, indicated plans to update labelling to reflect ongoing research on possible developmental effects while affirming that the evidence is inconclusive.
- Medical experts caution that deterring pregnant women from using safe fever-reducing medications might inadvertently increase risks from untreated fever or pain.
- In the vaccine domain, public health professionals warn that spacing out vaccines or delaying them may lead to lower vaccine uptake, creating gaps in immunity that expose children to preventable illnesses.
- The assertion that Hepatitis B is primarily a sexually transmitted infection drew particular scorn. The CDC and paediatric institutions stressed that mother-to-child transmission at birth is a major route, justifying early vaccination.
Potential Impacts and Risks
If adopted or broadly believed, Trump’s recommendations carry multiple dangers:
- Reduced trust in evidence-based care
When political figures assert medical claims outside scientific consensus, the public may become hesitant to accept validated recommendations from physicians and health agencies. - Under-treatment of symptoms during pregnancy
Limiting access or discouraging use of safe medications for pain or fever could lead to complications for both mother and foetus. - Lower vaccine coverage
More fragmented or delayed immunization schedules increase logistical burdens and may reduce rates of vaccination, undermining herd immunity. - Confusion over autism and treatments
Advocating untested therapies like folinic acid may redirect families away from supported interventions and place false blame on mothers for developmental disorders. - Legal and social consequences for transgender minors
Policies restricting gender-affirming care may result in medical deserts, litigation, and displaced access to care, particularly in states with less supportive frameworks.
A View Forward
Public health experts emphasize that policy proposals must proceed on the basis of rigorous, peer-reviewed evidence. They call for clear, accessible communication that distinguishes hypothesis from established fact. Some recommend that state and professional bodies reaffirm guidance to counter misinformation.
In the coming weeks, it will be crucial to watch how federal agencies respond—especially whether the FDA’s intended label changes for acetaminophen become finalized, and whether vaccine policy proposals gain any traction in Congress or in state legislatures.
