GENEVA 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday countered the US president's claim linking paracetamol in pregnancy to autism, saying "evidence remains inconsistent."

"Although some observational studies have suggested a possible association between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen (paracetamol) and autism, the evidence remains inconsistent," spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.

"Several studies have found no such relationship," he added.

Stressing that if the link between paracetamol and autism were strong, Jasarevic said it would likely have been consistently observed across multiple studies.

"This lack of replicability calls for caution in drawing causal conclusions about the role of acetaminophen in autism," he said.

The spokesperson warned that medicines should always be used with caution during pregnancy, especially in the first three months.

"It is important for women to continue to follow the advice of their doctors or health workers, who can help assess individual circumstances and recommend necessary medicines," he said.