The White House, led by President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has asserted a potential link between use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy and higher risks of autism in children.
Officials are also promoting folinic acid (a form of vitamin B9) as a possible treatment for some autism symptoms and have floated changes to Tylenol’s safety labeling.
The announcement has drawn swift pushback from medical experts and public health groups, citing that the scientific evidence is limited, mixed, and does not establish a causal relationship.
The Trump administration has warned that taking Tylenol during pregnancy might be associated with an elevated risk of autism in children — a claim that medical experts were quick to assert is not substantiated by current science.
Speaking from the White House, President Trump urged pregnant women to avoid using Tylenol, whose active ingredient is acetaminophen, saying, “Don’t take it.” He added that the maternal use of the common pain‐reliever could represent one of the environmental exposures driving a rise in autism diagnoses.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. similarly backed the claim, tying it to research he says HHS has reviewed. In addition, the administration floated label changes for Tylenol and proposed folinic acid, a derivative of folate, as a possible intervention for certain autism symptoms.
What the science says
Several observational studies have reported associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism. However, association is not the same thing as causation, and many of these studies are limited by confounding variables, scientists say.
A large Swedish study following about 2.5 million children, which also did within‐family (sibling) comparisons, found that when controlling for shared genetics and other environmental factors, the apparent association disappears.
Public health organizations — including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal‐Fetal Medicine — have reaffirmed that the evidence does not support changing current guidance, which holds that acetaminophen remains one of the safer options for treating pain or fever in pregnancy when used properly.
Reactions and implications
Critics argue that the administration’s messaging could lead to confusion or unintended harm, warning that pregnant women may avoid treating fevers or severe pain out of fear of autism.
But the Trump administration pushed back against the criticism, suggesting pregnant women should err on the side of caution.
“There is mounting evidence finding a connection between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism — and that’s why the Administration is courageously issuing this new health guidance,” said White House News Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“Additionally, the Trump Administration is approving a new treatment option that has been found to improve some autism symptoms.”
Meanwhile, Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, has defended the drug’s safety profile, saying it continues to stand by previous research that found no credible causal link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism.