The Trump administration is preparing to announce a possible link between the use of paracetamol (acetaminophen or Tylenol) during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children, according to reports from The Washington Post and Politico.
Paracetamol, one of the most widely used over-the-counter pain relievers, has long been considered safe for expectant mothers. Current medical guidelines continue to state that acetaminophen remains a recommended treatment during pregnancy, especially for fever and pain management.
However, citing two senior officials, Politico reported that President Donald Trump intends to warn pregnant women to restrict Tylenol or generic acetaminophen use to cases of high fever only. “Autism is totally out of control in the US,” Trump said on Friday. “I think we, maybe, have a reason why.” He suggested that the announcement could come as soon as Sunday, during a memorial event for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal revealed that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also preparing to highlight research that points to a potential link between prenatal Tylenol use and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The administration is reviewing studies, including an August analysis by researchers from Mount Sinai and Harvard, which suggested that early pregnancy exposure to acetaminophen might be associated with higher autism risk.
At the same time, scientists are also looking at leucovorin, a drug typically prescribed for Vitamin B9 deficiency and certain side effects, as a potential treatment avenue. Findings around leucovorin are fueling fresh debate over autism’s causes, challenging the long-held belief that the condition is primarily genetic and largely untreatable.
Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is set to launch a new autism data science initiative on September 22, awarding grants to 13 research teams to study causes and potential treatments. Officials clarified that this initiative is separate from the broader NIH review of autism research, which remains ongoing.
“President Trump pledged to address America’s rising rate of autism, and to do so with Gold Standard Science,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.
