Trump warns pregnant women to avoid Tylenol over autism risk

Update, 7:38 p.m.:

The federal government is issuing a warning that taking Tylenol during pregnancy may increase the chances of a child developing autism, President Donald Trump announced at a Monday press conference. Women should only take Tylenol—known generically as acetaminophen—in small doses for extremely high fever or when they can’t muscle through the pain, the president said. The Food and Drug Administration also published a physicians notice Monday pointing to a potential link between Tylenol use and autism.

Trump also announced 13 new major grants funding autism data science initiatives. He described the rise in autism as meteoric, noting data showing 1 in 31 children suffer from the condition.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also spoke Monday, saying research teams at the National Institutes of Health are testing various hypotheses around autism with no areas off limits. He said the FDA will work with distributors to update acetaminophen medication bottles with the possible risks. Clinicians can use their best judgment on administering Tylenol to pregnant women when necessary, but the lowest dose for the shortest time is best, he added.

Researchers also found evidence that a deficiency of the vitamin folate in a child’s brain may also lead to autism, Kennedy said. Peer-reviewed literature showed that many folate deficient children with autism saw improved verbal communications if given a folic acid medication, the health secretary noted. 

What about vaccines? President Trump said vaccines should have no mercury, no aluminum, and ideally should not be mixed with other vaccines. He suggested the MMR vaccine combating measles, mumps, and rubella should be separated into individual doses. He also suggested that infants did not need to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B, a disease most often spread through sexual activity.

Our earlier story:

President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon was expected to share what his administration believes causes autism. He teased the announcement Sunday during his speech in Arizona at the memorial of Christian conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Ahead of the press conference, Trump was expected to link autism to the use of the pain reliever Tylenol during pregnancy. Reports earlier this month suggested Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would draw a connection between autism and Tylenol’s active ingredient, acetaminophen.

Tylenol’s owner, Kenvue Brands LLC, wrote online in a response to media reports that medical and public health organizations agree there is still no proven link between autism and taking acetaminophen. It added that its label specifically tells pregnant or breastfeeding mothers to talk to their healthcare professionals before use.

Many experts believe there is not one single cause of the disorder. The Autism Science Foundation says genetics and environmental factors, such as maternal age and health during pregnancy, during pregnancy likely both play a role in causing autism. Kennedy last month vowed to launch studies aimed at identifying the root cause of autism after new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed dramatic increases in the disorder. One in 31 children were diagnosed with autism in 2022, compared with 1 in 150 in 2000, according to the data.

What do the studies say? Several studies in recent years found that prenatal acetaminophen use could be linked to higher risks for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. In a report released in August from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, researchers analyzed 46 studies with a total of more than 100,000 participants. That review determined it was likely that higher-quality studies were likely to show a clear link between Tylenol usage and mental disorders. Acetaminophen is known to cross the placenta from mother to baby and could disrupt hormones and interfere with brain development, according to the report.

However, a study conducted in Sweden last year examined data from more than 2 million children and determined there was no link between the drug and autism. It instead pointed to genetic factors as a probable cause.

Also, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, said there was no clear link between developmental disorders and appropriate, occasional use of the pain reliever. Acetaminophen is the only pain reliever approved for women to take while pregnant because nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen, are linked to birth defects.

What about folate? Officials on Monday were also expected to suggest that low levels of the vitamin folate could contribute to autism. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are advised by healthcare professionals to take a folate supplement because it is difficult to get enough of the vitamin from food alone, according to ACOG. Folic acid, a form of folate, is known to help with tissue growth, protect against neural tube defects, and is critical for brain development. Some studies have found that children with autism have folate deficiencies and some experts suggest folate supplements may help ease some of the symptoms of autism.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about the Trump administration’s report on how it plans to tackle chronic illness.