President Trump plans to announce Monday that using Tylenol while pregnant could potentially raise the risk of developing autism, sources told The Post.
The Trump administration is expected to start advising pregnant women against using the over-the-counter pain medication unless they have high fevers, those familiar with the announcement said.
Officials are also slated to reveal efforts to explore using leucovorin — a drug used for cancer and anemia — to treat those with autism, the sources added.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discusses the findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network survey. REUTERS
The Trump administration officially claimed Tylenol has a link to childhood autism. Birch Photography – stock.adobe.com
Trump has been touting a looming announcement tied to the neurological condition for several days.
“I think we found an answer to autism,” he said on Sunday during a speech at conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s funeral.
“I think it’s going to be one of the most important news conferences I’ll ever have, and I look so forward to it.”
Autism affected about one in 31 8-year-olds in the US in 2022, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
That’s a sharp uptick from 2000, when roughly one in 150 children were diagnosed with the neurological developmental condition.
The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment. McGuff
The announcement will mark the first time the US government has linked acetaminophen to autism. Tylenol is the brand name for acetaminophen. The medication has been popular since it became over-the-counter around the early 1960s.
It wasn’t immediately clear what research the administration will cite.
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai dropped a study last month that showed prenatal exposure to the pain relief medication could potentially increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD in children.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. has vowed to make autism research a priority. AP
“Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD,” Dr Diddier Prada, one of the researchers, said at the time.
“Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications.”
The study did not determine that acetaminophen use could directly cause neurodevelopmental disorders in kids.
Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain medication. wachiwit – stock.adobe.com
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long vowed to make autism a priority and last month teased an upcoming report on the disorder.
“We are using gold-standard science to get to the bottom of America’s unprecedented rise in autism rates,” a Health and Human Services spokesperson said at the time.
Rumors had swirled for weeks that Kennedy planned to tie the sharp national rise in autism to Tylenol, leading some medical experts to voice skepticism about the link.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) claimed that Tylenol is safe for use during pregnancy when taken in moderation.
Tylenol can be bought at your local pharmacy or major retailers like Target and Walmart. REUTERS
“Acetaminophen remains a safe, trusted option for pain relief during pregnancy. Despite recent unfounded claims, there’s no clear evidence linking prudent use to issues with fetal development,” the group said.
“ACOG’s guidance remains the same. When pain relief is needed during pregnancy, acetaminophen should be used in moderation and after consulting your doctor.”
Dr. Christopher Zahn, chief of clinical practice for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, claimed that there is no clear evidence of a direct link between “prudent use” of Tylenol and fetal development issues.
Sources told The Post the study will link pregnant women taking Tylenol to a higher risk in autism. Africa Studio – stock.adobe.com
“Neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular, are multifactorial and very difficult to associate with a singular cause. Pregnant patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen, which is safe and one of the few options pregnant people have for pain relief,” he said, per CNN.
At the moment, the Food and Drug Administration encourages pregnant women to steer clear of other common pain relievers, particularly after 20 weeks, due to concerns that they can lead to low amniotic fluid.
Tylenol use, however, remains common during pregnancy in the US. It was one of the few forms of pain relief that pregnant women had previously been advised was safe to take.