Autism and President Donald Trump, at this moment goes hand in hand, as ever since Trump's administration, with the help of his handpicked Health Secretary RFK Jr. decided to conduct a study to examine the potential link between vaccines and autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been told to study for the link between the two, a theory very well backed by President Trump and RFK Jr. Up new is the recent plan to announce by the President on Monday that using Tylenol, a brand of medicine, used for reducing pain or fever, during pregnancy could increase the risk of autism. Two senior administration officials who have confirmed this news to POLITICO also said that advisory will be issued for pregnant women to only use generic acetaminophen for high fevers. The officials have also told the media outlet that Trump may also highlight the benefit of leucovorin, which is a cancer and anemia drug as a potential therapy for people with autism."Autism Is Totally Out Of Control"Not too long ago, on Friday, Trump himself said that he will soon be making a big announcement on the neurological condition. "Autism is totally out of control. I think we, maybe have a reason why," he told the reporters. White House spokesperson Kush Desai, in a statement on Sunday said that the "announcement will make historic progress" in addressing rising autism rates. As per CDC's data, about 1 in 31 children aged 8 years has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Among them 1 in 6 children aged 3 to 17 years were diagnosed with a developmental disability, during the period study of 2009-2017. These also included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)., blindness, and cerebral palsy. The CDC also reported this spring that 1 in 31 American 8-year-olds was diagnosed with the condition in 2022, compared with 1 in 150 in 2000.Why Autism? To Find The Answer Is HHS' Major PriorityHealth Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. also promised earlier this year to have "some" answers to the question of why cases are increasing. This has been made HHS' major priority. As per Kennedy, there are environmental factors too, though there is enough evidence to counter his argument. For him, vaccines are involved.Read More: CDC Plans Vaccine-Autism Study Despite Scientific Consensus Coming Back To TylenolAcetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, is the most widely used medication for pain and fever relief among pregnant women, who are generally advised to avoid ibuprofen (Advil) because of its link to miscarriage and birth defects.According to a senior administration official, RFK Jr. and other top health leaders are expected to take part in an upcoming announcement. However, officials remain divided on how to address the sensitive issue of autism. Kennedy himself has expressed concern about a possible link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism but has been cautious about issuing a public warning.The administration is simultaneously preparing a broader autism initiative. About a dozen working groups are set to investigate roughly 30 possible causes of the condition. A supporting literature review, still underway, will not be released ahead of Monday’s announcement.Earlier this year, Kennedy pledged to identify the cause of autism by September, a timeline many researchers considered unrealistic. The National Institutes of Health, tasked with leading the effort, has already tempered expectations, saying new grant funding will launch this fall, with meaningful updates not expected until next year.This month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intended to connect autism risk to Tylenol use in pregnancy, as well as to folate deficiencies in women, with leucovorin being floated as a possible therapy. But officials later confirmed that no such report currently exists, as reported by POLITICO.Meanwhile, a review published last month in BMC Environmental Health by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health dean Dr. Andrea Baccarelli and colleagues linked acetaminophen use to autism and urged caution. The authors recommended that pregnant women take the drug only when necessary, at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration, but stopped short of advising a complete ban.Industry leaders are pushing back. According to The Wall Street Journal, Kirk Perry, interim CEO of Tylenol manufacturer Kenvue, privately urged Kennedy not to name Tylenol as a cause. Kenvue, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, considers Tylenol a flagship brand.In a statement to POLITICO, a Kenvue spokesperson rejected any claims of a link. “Over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence connecting acetaminophen to autism,” the company said. It added that discouraging Tylenol use could leave women facing “dangerous choices” between untreated pain, which itself can harm mothers and babies, and riskier alternatives.Major medical groups continue to support acetaminophen use in pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists maintains that there is “no clear evidence” tying appropriate use to fetal developmental problems and warns against leaving pain or fever untreated.So far, studies on acetaminophen and autism have largely been observational, pointing to associations but not proving causation.
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