The Trump administration is expected to announce on Monday that pregnant women's use of paracetamol – known as Tylenol in the United States – may be linked to a risk of autism, according to a report from the Washington Post. This move contradicts established medical guidelines that deem the over-the-counter painkiller safe for use during pregnancy.
The announcement, reportedly involving Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and other senior health officials, will also outline plans to explore the potential of the cancer and anaemia drug leucovorin as a treatment for autism. The Post, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the plans, noted that some early medical trials have shown what scientists describe as remarkable improvements in communication abilities among children with autism who received leucovorin.
Medical guidelines continue to recommend paracetamol as safe for pregnant women, but federal health officials have been revisiting previous research. A review published in August by researchers from Harvard University and Mount Sinai hospital suggested a possible increased risk of autism in children whose mothers used paracetamol early in pregnancy.
President Donald Trump teased the announcement at a memorial event on Sunday, telling the crowd: “I think we found an answer to autism.” On Saturday, he described the planned announcement as “one of the most important things that we will do”. However, according to Politico, Kennedy had been reluctant to warn the public, signalling a divide within the administration over the handling of the issue.
Decades of research have not yielded firm answers on what contributes to autism, a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by social and communication difficulties and repetitive behaviours. Many scientists believe genetics, potentially in combination with environmental influences, play a role. Kennedy has claimed the United States is experiencing an “autism epidemic” fuelled by “environmental toxins”.
