“For too long, families have been left without answers or options as autism rates have soared,” Secretary Kennedy said. “Today, we are taking bold action: opening the door to the first FDA-recognized treatment pathway, informing doctors and families about potential risks and investing in groundbreaking research. We will follow the science, restore trust and deliver hope to millions of American families.”  

President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that acetaminophen is a primary cause of autism in children, contradicting the current belief that the paracetamol and analgesics use is safe during pregnancy. 

The announcement, directly taking place in the Roosevelt Room on Sept. 22, also included a warning towards parents giving their children acetaminophen, insinuating the drug could potentially affect infants after the inutero-period.

“Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump said at his address. “Don’t take it. If you just can’t … fight like hell not to take it. There may be a point where you have to and that, you will have to workout with yourself.”

The data and research both the President and Secretary of Human Health Services (HHS) are referring to are two separate “large-scale cohort studies,” done by the Boston Birth Cohort and the Nurses’ Health Study II. 

Reporting associations between diagnoses and in utero exposure to the drug, the two studies also reported links to attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ASD, and urge parents nationwide to denounce “pill popping” during infant development.

“The Trump Administration does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “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. 

“Additionally, the Trump Administration is approving a new treatment option that has been found to improve some autism symptoms. President Trump pledged to address America’s skyrocketing rates of autism, and his team is deploying Gold Standard Science to deliver on this pledge. We will not be deterred in these efforts as we know millions across America are grateful.”

Adding to the research, Ivy league institutions added to the data, with John Hopkins University, Harvard University and Mount Sinai urging the same recommendation from parents. Trump’s accusations of the drug are also followed by endorsements from prominent leaders in the field of medicine. 

“As a physician, I have seen how devastating autism spectrum disorder can be for children and their families,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said. “Today’s actions represent an unprecedented, comprehensive approach to deepen our understanding of the causes of autism, share what we know and don’t know based on current research and ensure that every child has a better chance to thrive. By providing access to a drug to treat symptoms associated with autism, we are providing hope to families and providers who have until today had very limited options.”

The Dean of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Andrea Baccarelli, also announced the endorsement of this research, recommending parents find alternatives to high-dose acetaminophen. 

“After assessing the evidence, my colleagues and I recommended a balanced approach based on the precautionary principle: patients who need pain or fever reduction during pregnancy should take the lowest effective dose of acetaminophen, for the shortest possible duration, after consultation with their physician about their individual risk-benefit calculation,” Baccarelli said in a post on X. 

“Further research is needed to confirm the association and determine causality, but based on existing evidence, I believe that caution about acetaminophen use during pregnancy, especially heavy or prolonged use, is warranted.” 

The Trump Administration and the HHS reports that since 2000, autism is said to have spiked nearly 400% percent in the last 25 years, and now affects 1-in-31 American children.

The pair presented autism rates of US children, and said that boys have a 1-in-12 chance of being born with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and women have a 1-in-20 chance of being born with ASD. While the research on ASD has become a more prominent research topic in the twenty-first century, the field lacks steady research in women’s autism. 

Trump’s warning of the drug has been heavily criticized by the public, with doctors and individuals in the field of ASD research countering his opinion on the drug’s safety for pregnant women.

Linda Eckert, a University of Washington professor and board certified OBGYN, told PBS that the research doesn’t solicit an announcement of this magnitude. 

“Most of the research does not bear out that there’s a causal relationship,” Eckert said to PBS. “Causal relationships are quite hard to prove actually … and the research on Tylenol has been quiet assuring overall … the most recent one that is a powerful study was done in Sweden, where they looked at over 250,000 individuals, and they also were able to look at siblings, where people have environmental and sibling relationships, genetics in common.

“When they accounted for these environmental and genetic risks, they did not see any association between Tylenol and autism, so that’s to be a very gold standard study.”

Also aiding in a counter claim, “Love on the Spectrum” star and CEO of Danimation Entertainment, Dani Bowman said she understood the call to find a solution for autism, and while she has no formal background in medicine, her familial genetics make her wary of accusations of this magnitude.

“I understand the desperation of families who want the answers,” Bowman said to AP. “My concern is that the announcements like this risk leading families down the wrong path. Autism is not something to cure – it is part of who we are.”

“My mom never took Tylenol while she was pregnant with me or my sister. My dad has autism. My sister has autism. I have autism. It really has to do with the genetic linkage. Real science takes time and it’s impossible to reach evidence-based conclusions in just six months.”

Alongside his announcement, Trump has also called for new FDA label changes and warnings, to ensure the public can be aware of the drugs risks. 

The 47th president is also calling for a notice to update the label of leucovorin for cerebral folate deficiency, which is associated with autistic symptoms. According to the Trump Administration, this will be followed by more research on leucovorin’s effectiveness and safety.