Study suggests potential link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and increased autism risk in children.

President Trump is poised to unveil a new report on Monday that purports to establish a connection between childhood autism and the use of Tylenol, or acetaminophen, by pregnant women. This forthcoming report is anticipated to recommend that expecting mothers avoid the widely used pain reliever during early pregnancy, even as a majority of existing medical research has not identified a definitive link to rising autism rates among children.

Trump hinted at the report’s release during a recent address at a memorial for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, asserting to his supporters that a solution to autism may have been identified. Tylenol, along with its generic counterpart acetaminophen, is routinely used by pregnant women to alleviate pain and reduce fever. Meanwhile, ibuprofen, another common pain management medication featured in products like Advil, is already discouraged due to its association with miscarriage and congenital anomalies.

The report is also expected to address nutritional factors, specifically the role of folate—also known as folic acid or Vitamin B9—in the context of autism risk. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has previously stated his intention to identify a conclusive cause for autism by this month, alluding in the past to a potential link with childhood vaccines, a claim widely discredited by public health authorities.

As the September deadline approaches, it appears that this timeline may have been overly ambitious, given that approximately a dozen working groups are still analyzing roughly 30 potential hypotheses regarding the causes of autism. Autism diagnoses have surged dramatically in the United States over recent decades, but many experts attribute this increase largely to improved detection and diagnostic practices rather than a genuine rise in prevalence.

The pharmaceutical company Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, has publicly disagreed with claims linking acetaminophen to autism. The company argues that such assertions could lead women to make dangerous choices regarding their pain management, which could adversely affect both their own health and that of their unborn children. Kenvue emphasizes that extensive research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and health regulators worldwide, supports the assertion that no credible evidence exists to suggest a connection between acetaminophen and autism.

Major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have also indicated that there is “no clear evidence” linking the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy to autism or other developmental disorders in fetuses. As discussions surrounding autism continue to evolve, public health experts remain vigilant in addressing the integrity of information shared about its causes and prevalent risk factors.