The Trump administration is taking new action to address the growing number of children in the United States who are diagnosed with autism, including recommending pregnant women avoid taking Tylenol and similar medications. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., addressed the nation on Monday to explain the administration’s findings this year.
Research into the causes of autism has been a priority for Kennedy even before becoming the head of HHS. Under his leadership, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now responding “to prior clinical and laboratory studies that suggest a potential association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.” Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol.
The FDA will now “issue a physician notice and begin the process to initiate a safety label change for acetaminophen,” going forward. HHS will also be launching a “nationwide public service campaign” to inform families about the potential risks of the product for pregnant women.
Kennedy explained that HHS will continue to follow the science in battling this issue.
“For too long, families have been left without answers or options as autism rates have soared,” he 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.”
HHS explained in a statement that there are conflicting reports on the links between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, but advises clinicians to “exercise their best judgment” in determining if acetaminophen is necessary.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary also shared that there is a treatment that could prevent autism in some children.
“A growing body of evidence suggests that some children suffering from autism are folate-deficient within the brain—a problem that can be treated with leucovorin,” Makary said. “Given the extent of the current autism epidemic, physicians should immediately have this treatment option available for candidate children.”
Leucovorin is a special type of vitamin that protects healthy cells from some of the harsh side effects of chemotherapy. Doctors also use it to make certain cancer medicines work better.
The White House also reported on Monday that the rate of autism among children has increased by 400 percent from 2000 to 2022, revealing how rapidly the epidemic is growing. The rise in autism diagnoses has also coincided with a rise in diagnosed cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children. The White House further explained that acetaminophen may also play a role in children being diagnosed with ADHD.
In the press conference, Trump further advised parents not to give babies vaccines all at once. He recommended that babies be given their vaccines over a period of four or five appointments.
“On the vaccines, it would be good instead of one visit where they pump the baby, load it up with stuff, you’ll do it over a period of four times or five times,” the President said. “I’ve been so into this issue for so many years just because I couldn’t understand how a thing like this could happen.”
Kennedy explained that HHS will continue to investigate the causes of autism. He said that 40 percent to 70 percent of mothers who have children with autism believe that vaccines led to their children’s diagnosis.
“President Trump believes that we should be listening to these mothers instead of gaslighting and marginalizing them like prior administrations,” Kennedy said. “Some of our friends like to say that we should believe all women. Some of these same people have been silencing and demonizing these mothers for three decades. Because searching for a potential link between autism and vaccines has been actively suppressed in the past, it will take time for an honest look at this topic by scientists.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained in a statement that Trump promised to combat the growing autism crisis in America and that “his team is deploying Gold Standard Science to deliver on this pledge.” She added that the administration “will not be deterred in these efforts as we know millions across America are grateful.”
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
The fact that these recommendations are being made without any new studies gives me no confidence in believing anything that the FDA says.
As a former teacher who worked with students with autism, I am cautious when it comes to many of these studies. I had some students who became ill as infants and neurological problems occurred, especially if they ran high fevers. There was a UK study in either late 90’s or early 2000 and it was eventually proven the scientist used false information. The biggest problem I had was when autism was being recognized, many students were being tested & labeled because that was the big deal at the time, especially when celebrities were involved. There are many different spectrums of autism, and I hope this is being considered when these studies are done.
Considering Kennedy has an anti vaccine stance is evidence enough that he is incapable of following “the science”. If he would follow science, he would accept the overwhelming number of studies that show Tylenol is safe. We need someone who deals in reality leading HHS, not a political hack.
I don’t believe that there’s one thing that causes autism. It’s more complicated. We have technology that tests so much and now nothing is safe. We’re all excited to rush and blame everyone outside ourselves! Maybe our lifestyle contributed, maybe society is too quick to label kids! And why is autism now a scale? 50 years from now everyone will be in the autistic scale somewhere! I feel for those who have a special needs child but let’s not rush but let science and truth tell us what causes this not hysteria!
There is not one product that comes without use before or best used before, all, but DNA. Is the past due date as good as the newer fresher one, mother nature deals with that but we have conquered that, Old bull is no longer allowed to breed and no decent breeder would breed an old animal. There is a reason for it. The fact that we reach for medicine cabinet every time there is a little pinch or twitch is not good either. We can’t blame everything on outside factors , time to look at our habits and the way we live.
Before Tylenol, I don’t believe I ever heard the term autism, nor did people have severe allergies to peanuts. Lead wasn’t poisonous, asbestos was safe and some artificial sweeteners didn’t affect the nervous system. Unfortunately when we learn something that erodes our trust, naturally both sides are going to rush in. The bottom line is who has the most to lose, if damage truly points to a doctor approved pain reliever? Big pharma will have a lot to explain and all their doctor’s endorsements won’t quiet angry victims. Bottom line, it’s all about business and what would they do to protect that?
All medicines have side effects, we just didn’t discover yours yet, or did they?
I don’t take Tylenol because, in my personal experience, it doesn’t do much anyway. (shrugs shoulders)
Has anyone looked into the fact that post due date DNA is not as fresh and good as a newer fresher one. Mother nature has a way of regulating those things, old bulls are no longer the head of the heard, not a decent breeder would breed deficient stock. Also the fact that we automatically reach for medicine cabinet for every pinch and twitch does not bode well .It all accumulates, unfortunately, like old injuries to surprise us later.
Here in the UK, the headline today on this topic was Trump makes baseless claim whuch (and I quote) “flies in the face of decades of research”. No honest discussion, no reference to the many points raised in the article above Par for the course for the woke BBC.
Whether or not it causes autism we probably will never know but what makes me sick is the pregnant women on Tiktok taking Tylenol with their pregnant hanging out not even knowing if the studies are true or not it’s barbaric. It’s like recording yourself driving your child across town without a seat belt on just because you can…..dumb
Hopefully some brave ex-employee who actually saw or kept the hard copy of studies done by the manufacturer that more than likely raised these concerns decades ago, will step forward and expose the suppression of whatever data and studies were done back then. Unfortunately, the mothers around America that have an autistic child are now in agony and feeling horribly guilty. They SHOULD be mad.