President Donald Trump is expected to link the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism. The planned remarks on Sept. 22 would make this the first time the U.S. government has formally connected the common pain reliever — sold as Tylenol and in generic form — to the condition, according to a Sept. 21 report from Politico, citing two senior administration officials.
Here are eight things to know:
- Trump is expected to advise pregnant women to use acetaminophen only for high fevers.
- The announcement will also highlight leucovorin, a cancer and anemia drug, as a potential treatment for people with autism, according to the report.
- Administration officials told Politico that a government report linking acetaminophen to autism does not exist, despite Wall Street Journal reporting suggesting otherwise.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to appear at the announcement but has reportedly been reluctant to publicly warn about a Tylenol-autism link.
- The CDC said in the spring that 1 in 31 American 8-year-olds was diagnosed with autism in 2022, up from 1 in 150 in 2000.
- A review of existing research, co-written by Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, dean of Boston-based Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, linked acetaminophen to autism. However, the review recommended “judicious” acetaminophen use during pregnancy and stopped short of limiting it to high fevers.
- Medical groups still recommend acetaminophen as safe for pregnant patients, according to the report.
- A spokesperson for Kenvue, which manufactures Tylenol, told Politico it strongly disagrees with the proposed link and said discouraging its use could lead women to seek “dangerous” alternatives.
