The Trump administration is expected on Monday to announce a potential connection between the use of the popular painkiller Tylenol (known as paracetamol outside the U.S.) by pregnant women and an increased risk of autism, according to The Washington Post.
Officials are also expected to highlight plans to explore whether leucovorin, a drug used to treat cancer and anemia, could potentially serve as a treatment for autism, citing preliminary evidence of improvements in communication and social understanding in children, though these findings are considered early-stage.
Current medical guidance maintains that Tylenol is safe for pregnant women, with acetaminophen (its active ingredient in the U.S.) widely used for pain relief. However, federal health officials have reviewed prior studies, including a Harvard University and Mount Sinai review in August, suggesting a possible link between first-trimester Tylenol use and an increased autism risk in children.
Trump mentioned the issue during a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, stating, “I think we may have found an answer to autism.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health under Trump, has framed the issue as part of a looming “autism epidemic” allegedly driven by environmental toxins. Kennedy and other senior health officials are expected to participate in the announcement.
While Kennedy emphasizes a potential risk from Tylenol use during pregnancy, internal debates within the administration have delayed a formal public warning, signaling divisions on how to handle the matter.
Autism remains a complex neurodevelopmental condition, with decades of research indicating that genetics and environmental factors likely play significant roles.
