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Why Medication Safety in Pregnancy Is Still a Mystery

Why Medication Safety in Pregnancy Is Still a Mystery

Despite the widespread use of medication during pregnancy, a lack of clinical research leaves patients and doctors navigating treatment with dangerously few data.

Science Quickly

October 24, 202512m 29s

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Show Notes

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


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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.

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