On Sept. 22, President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a news conference Trump billed as presenting “an answer to autism.” Trump said Tylenol is “associated with a very increased risk of autism,” and Kennedy said the FDA would issue a physician’s notice about acetaminophen risk during pregnancy, begin a safety label change process, and that HHS would launch a nationwide public service campaign.
On Oct. 9, during a Cabinet meeting, Kennedy said people who take acetaminophen during pregnancy “unless they have to” are “irresponsible,” and referenced studies he claimed involved circumcision and autism rates tied to Tylenol. On Oct. 29, Kennedy said the “causative association” between Tylenol in pregnancy and the perinatal period is “not sufficient” to say it “definitely causes autism.”
A KFF tracking poll found 77% of Americans had heard the claim; among parents, 36% said it was probably true, and among Republicans, 50% did. On Oct. 28, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against Tylenol makers asserting federal confirmation of causation.