WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Flyover Features: The Politics of Tylenol

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

Emma and Sophia discuss different opinions on a Health and Human Services press release that discusses the studies on Tylenol and pregnancy.

Welcome back to Flyover Features on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM, a witty radio show where we discuss current events and culture through the lens of an article. I am Sophia Manned and I'm here with Emma Vrini. And today will we be discussing a Wall Street Journal article titled Pregnant Women on How They Feel About Taking Tijuana Now. President's remarks tying medication to autism spark debate among pregnant women balancing health advice, politics, and personal experience. And so in this article, let's just say I have very strong opinions about it. And it sounds like Emma might have different opinions from it than I do. And essentially, it talks about how recently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under RFK Jr. announced that the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, some studies have shown a potential link between that and autism as the medical.

community continues to look into how certain possibly environmental factors may account for the dramatic rise in autism diagnosis rates for young children. And, you know, that's a bit of a controversial and hot topic. And naturally, because that was announced by a certain administration of a certain political leaning in the U.S., people are either like, I shall have no Tylenol for the rest of my days or I am going to drink all the Tylenol I can just to stick it to the man. I don't care if it might affect my child and cause them to be born with three legs and to speak only in riddles. But, yeah, so essentially that's what it's all about.

And I have pretty strong feelings on this take because the health release admits that some of the studies are showing a link and others are not. So it's something that needs to be looked into more, but it's probably wise to consider not taking Tylenol if you're pregnant with a child, you know, at least as they look into it more, because prior clinical and laboratory studies have shown a potential association. And, you know, the report itself acknowledges, you know, the official government report under RFK that there are,

contrary studies showing no association. And there can be risks for, you know, on treated fever and pregnancy. So it's a complicated situation. It's like, you know, how do you win or lose in this situation? Both are bad. But I must say for myself, given that the actual studies is showing a potential link, if I were to be pregnant or have a child, I would very, very much not want to take Tylenol, if at all possible. And yet there's some comments made by women in response to that announcement from the Wall Street Journal article that are just like, you know, the government can't tell me what to do, you know, or oh, just crazy stuff like that and how, oh, you know, it puts women at risk. It makes them feel guilty for doing something that

relieves a debilitating headache. It's just dangerous rhetoric. And it's odd because these are the same people who are like all follow the science and whatnot. And then the actual scientific studies that are, you know, peer-reviewed government, you know, whatever, NCBI, whatever studies are saying, yeah, there might be a link. And now people are just rejecting it. Just, you know, they're now rejecting the government and the institutional gatekeepers because they don't like the new ones. I don't know. It's odd. And I don't agree with everything RFK does. But what's odd is in this specific instance, it's like it seems like there's a pretty legitimate concern or connection. They might be making more of a political spectacle out of it than they need to, but it's not total fear mongering.

You're listening to Flyover Features on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. So what are some of your thoughts, Emma? I actually agree with a lot of the women in this article. So just to clarify, the woman who wrote this article, Sabrina Siddiqui, went around and talked to women, all of whom are pregnant or have been pregnant before and ask them what their thoughts and feelings are about the recent Health and Human Services announcement

about acetaminophen. And I think ultimately what it comes down to is this is something that has to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. And so the first woman who she interviews, Nikki Bruner, basically says that she wants to learn more about what the science reveals about Tylenol and whether or not it's good to use or if it causes autism. And I think I liked what she said. She likes that the administration is actually looking into this. And she says that she's sort of reassured by the fact that this is sort of becoming an open inquiry.

And it's, you know, apparent to the public that the health and human services is being direct and upfront and telling them that they, you know, we don't 100% know, but we're looking into this. And she said, it's almost like giving the public permission to ask questions about what's being recommended and why. So I think that that was definitely, you know, I think she probably, we don't know if she supports Trump or not, but, you know, she's open to seeing what the administration does with this. And I just want to note that in this announcement from the Health and Human Services, It's a press release. And they basically say, I'll read it off, the FDA also recognizes that there are contrary

that is two studies that suggest there's a link between acetaminopin use and autism and showing no association and that there can be risks for untreated fever and pregnancy, both for the mother and fetus. Given the conflicting literature and lack of clear causal evidence, HHS, wants to encourage clinicians to exercise their best judgment. And then they link a PubMed article here in use of acetaminopin for fevers and pain in pregnancy by prescribing the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration when treatment is required. So I think this is basically just saying, hey, we're looking into this, but in the meantime,

use your best judgment about Tylenol use during pregnancy. don't go crazy. And I think that a lot of the women in this article sort of seem to agree with that statement. There's one woman who says, oh, yes. No, I don't exactly agree with this woman, but I do think that she sort of points out why so many women have a problem with this. She basically says, it's dangerous rhetoric. I don't exactly agree with that. It puts women at risk and makes them feel guilty.

for doing something that relieves a debilitating headache. So I do think that that is at the heart of why so many women are upset by this, because they feel like they have to be so self-sacrificing and just endure pain and not know when it ends. And that they have to feel like they're, they either have to do that, or put their kid at risk. And so they feel like they're sort of stuck between Iraq and a hard place. I get that. But I think there's a woman in this article as well who says that she basically just

she says she would use Tylenol to treat a headache if she absolutely had to. And I think that's sort of where I stand. The woman I'm talking about, by the way, is Josephine Langley. and this is sort of toward the end of the article, but she basically says she can't say whether or not she would take acetyminafin if she had like a really bad headache while she was pregnant because, you know, how do you, how do you deal with that? And she says she has taken it a handful of times,

but generally views it as a last resort. I generally agree with this because it's really hard to say what exactly you would do while you're pregnant. And, I mean, I could come up with a case on my own. Like, okay, what if I am, you know, not gaining the weight I need to gain while I'm pregnant and I have like this terrible headache and like it's a migraine and I'm vomiting a lot. I'm going to probably want to resolve that as best I can quickly. And so it's a matter of, it's like the same thing with the COVID vaccine. It's a matter of what is the best option for

me as an individual. Like some people really needed to take the COVID vaccine despite the that there were links to myocarditis. Some people really didn't. You think so? You think some people needed to take the COVID vaccine? I mean, I might have a different opinion. Well, I do. I don't think that the COVID vaccine just didn't entirely work. I do think it probably prevented some strains of COVID-19, not all of them. But I mean, if you are, you know, if you're in a position where you are aminocompromise and you don't really have any other option, it might be a matter of what I rather get myocarditis or what I rather possibly die from COVID. And if the risk of you dying from COVID is higher than the risk of you getting myocarditis, then yes, the vaccine is probably a better option

for you as an individual, just as some people might need to take acetaminopin while they're pregnant, whereas other people might not have to do that. Yeah. Well, I will say I got a bit frustrated by a lot of comments made by the people interviewed because one said that, you know, she needed to take some medication because of her age and type 2 diabetes. You know, she has a high risk pregnancy. And I very much empathize with that. And she's, you know, needing to manage migraines. And that's painful and horrible, honestly, to deal with. But she said, in her name's Lindsay Zimnock, my doctor told me it's the only option I have. And in response to Trump's comments, she says, you know, it sends the message that women don't matter, that we're just supposed to just suck it up and deal with it.

And I get your saying this in the throes of a painful situation, but that bothered me a lot because it's like, I didn't get that vibe at all. They're just saying, hey, honestly, there's some problems here that could occur for your child that you're bearing with Tylenol. And how does that say women don't matter? Like, if anything for me, like, I would care so much for my little child and wanting to make sure that it's cared for a lot. And, you know, there's going to be really difficult decisions made, but, you know, sometimes if it involves maybe more pain for me, but I don't know my child will be safer or more protective since it's my job to take care of it, like, you know, I'm going to do that. And it doesn't sound like it's just sucking up and dealing with it. It's just letting you know,

hey, you can take it, but they might have a bit of the tism if they do. And that's, that is something that rubbed me the wrong way, is that just seems like a worrisome case. I mean, also it's odd to me because, again, there's conflicting information about the studies and, you know, one should love and care for their child and view it as valued no matter what, but I also think you should do everything in your power to make sure your child's obviously healthy, cared for, raised and raised well and everything. But, like, what's odd to me is, hypothetically speaking, if there is a definitive link between, let's say, a drug that causes the mother more care, but has very negative effects.

on the baby and you care about, you know, your own comfort and whatnot in like a self-centered understandably sometimes way because you do matter. Like, I mean, in a lot of ways, I would actually make it harder for you because it's like, well, if your child ends up having more special needs or stuff like that, you know, there's still very valuable care for them. But that's like technically going to be more difficult in the long run than just having a hard pregnancy, but then the baby's like, you know, handy dandy. Things can't be perfect. Obviously, a lot of cases are genetic or there's nothing you can do. But it's like, for me, that's kind of my thought process. Like, you know, I want to eat as healthy as I can, do as much as I can to

make sure my baby has the best possible chance at life even before, you know, my child's born. And it seems like it actually would be harder. That's what's odd to me. It just doesn't seem like it's thinking as much about the future. And I just don't like that that is the thought process. When it's like, well, it's just saying it's a difficult decision, your personal discomfort versus, you know, the chance of the baby having a better start or vice versa. But it is kind of like a rock in a hard place. Like, what do I do? you know, it sounds like it's bad for me to have a fever for my child. It also sounds like it's bad for Tylenol, you know, what can you even do in that situation? It's a lot of stress. And

what's wild is the political divide of this because, you know, of course this article says it's through swift backlash from scientists and medical associations, even though it's legitimate studies, saying discouraging the use without evidence is bad when these are real studies. These are evidence. And so it's an odd thing. You're listening to Flyover Features on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. So what's funny is, of course, apparently the company behind Tylenol or marketing Tylenol can view, you know, said, of course, the science shows that taking acetaminophen doesn't cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers, this statement said, and classic caring for the.

the mother and not for the little baby, which is just horrible and says a lot about our world. I will say, I am a huge advocate of caring for the mother more than the little baby. I hate to say it. The whole like self-sacrificing, you know, virtuous woman archetype just so, like, it's just, it's so cringe. It's like, I disagree. I mean, I think the mother's life matters a lot too, and I don't like reducing that. But. Your baby matters a lot, too. It's another life. Yeah, I agree that the baby matters a lot. But I also think that the woman's comfort during pregnancy is of supreme importance. Yeah. And I don't think it's something we should take lightly. Also, big advocate of the save the mother, not the baby in, you know, emergencies during birth.

Oh. Yeah. That's sort of besides the point. But I do think that that's, you know, that's a point worth bringing up. I think it's interesting that the company itself is saying, oh, we, you know, our product is totally safe to use. Don't worry, guys. You think they'd ever say it wasn't? I wonder, I wonder if there are any, like, you know, interests that they're trying to protect.

Yeah, yeah. I wonder if there would ever be a company that would say, oh, yeah, actually, yeah, we're very on safe. Don't take it. Please don't take it. Please don't take our product, guys. We're on safe. But what I don't understand is the obsession with Tylenol. I mean, we know that, you know, autism is clearly on the rise, but there seem to be a lot of other variables that are in play here. For instance, women are having children much later than they used to. And one of the major correlations with geriatric pregnancy, which is pregnancy after the age of 35, by the way, is autism. So I think that there are a lot of other things that we could sort of point to.

I agree. I don't think Tylenol is the factor or even a big one. I just think it seems like it possibly could be a little one. You know, got those Tylenoltism pills, I guess. What can I say? They're just, they're putting them in the water. They're turning the frogs, gay. Yeah. Anyway, of course, some of the public health experts, some public health experts. You got RFK who, in my opinion, it does say some wild, crazy other stuff. And then he actually does cite, you know, that with the studies. Say, oh, it's inappropriately casting doubt on science and medicine. And then, you know, a pharmacy technician, Peyton Dravick, who's nearing the end of her first pregnancy, says, I feel really aggravated.

First, it was vaccines. Now it's Tylenol. why are we fearmonging over the bare minimum that helps pregnant women? And it's like, well, that's again. And she's like, the government in their opinions should not play a factor in the care of your body. And I'm like, wait, what? But so, so wait a second. Wait a second.

That means that she would have been like, oh, my word, I'm not taking that COVID vaccine. I'm not like listening to anything that the CDC says. I bet she thought that. Right. Right. So it's not the government at all. Because when the government tells me to take COVID vaccine, I would love to take COVID. vaccine, but not when the government doesn't tell me to take Tylenol. Yeah. I want to put as much

random stuff in my body as possible. I know, me too. That sounded very superstitious. I don't mean to say that like, you know, every drug you take is just random like chemicals or anything. But I mean, if the level of understanding that you're coming at it is, you know, I'm a layman. I don't understand science, then, then like, what's, what's the difference between the COVID vaccine and acetaminifin to you, you know? Yeah. If anything, the COVID vaccine should seem more concerning. Yeah. Well, also, I mean, like, my actual take as someone who's distrustful of institutions, but not entirely, is that whenever the government puts out something, I try and look up and understand it. Because, like, I don't think every single thing they do is, like, inherently evil and

wrong, but I don't think it's right either. And I like, to look into it. And I don't know. That's kind of my take. Like, and it seems like there are legitimate studies. They're saying it's a possible connection. And what's also kind of crazy is apparently seed of metafin is the active ingredient in more than 600 medications used to treat mild to moderate pain and reduce fever. So it's using a lot of things. But I mean, I don't remember what it was. There was this chemical thalamalaohyde, whatever. I'm mispronouncing it. But that like led to horrible birth defects. And I mean, I don't know. That was used by a lot of people. So, you. you know, these things, these things happen.

The pills affect us in ways we don't even understand. That's not fake. They have a lot of side effects, you know. And, you know, it's, you know, the recommendation is just pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy and consult with a physician or pharmacist if they're uncertain. And if possible, minimize exposure by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. I think that's kind of funny, though. The recommendation is to use the lowest effective dose. Like, no, I'm going to use the highest effective dose.

I'm going to take the entire bottle. It's like, I mean, that's sort of what people do anyway. Like, for instance, acetaminifin does not work for me. I take ibuprofen. Personally, I always use the lowest effective dose, which is still a lot, but, you know. Yeah. I can't be drowning in my, you know, ibuprofen. But, yeah, I have not taken any acetaminophen since that announcement.

I'll say that. I've gone, I got the full conspiracy nut. But it's okay. I was talking to someone that she was like, don't take Tylenol anymore. And I was like, okay. Yeah. No, I, it's wild. All this, all this debates, you know, that just shows how much we value the nature of truth and the, as seen in the scientific and medical establishment and debates over that and claims of expertise.

What can I say? Yep. Yeah. And I just want to clarify the quote at the end that really bugs me is casting doubt on science. It's like science is not just this like indisputable, like fully substantiated body of evidence that nobody can, you know, talk about it anymore. It's like we're opening an inquiry into Tylenol and trying to make sure that, you know, it's safe for pregnant women to use. It's literally that simple. If you want to continue to use it, that's fine because we don't have all the evidence right now, but use it at your own discretion.

That's all we have time for today. This was Flyover Features. I'm Emma here with Sophia on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.