Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Monday that acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — may be linked to increased autism risk when used during pregnancy, according to two senior administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
The announcement will advise expectant mothers to use acetaminophen-based products, such as Tylenol, only in cases of high fever. This marks the first time a U.S. administration has formally suggested a possible connection between the widely used drug and the nation’s autism epidemic.
“Autism is totally out of control,” Trump told reporters on Friday, previewing what he called a “big announcement” on the matter. “I think we, maybe, have a reason why.”
White House spokesperson Kush Desai confirmed in a Sunday statement that the forthcoming announcement “will make historic progress” in the national effort to confront the alarming rise in autism diagnoses. “This administration is not afraid to ask hard questions and challenge long-held assumptions,” Desai added.
This move aligns with a key health initiative spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made investigating the causes of autism a top priority. Earlier this year, Kennedy vowed to bring clarity to the issue by September — a promise that now seems to be culminating in Monday’s announcement.
The urgency is backed by sobering statistics: According to the CDC, 1 in 31 American 8-year-olds were diagnosed with autism in 2022. In contrast, that figure was just 1 in 150 in 2000 — a more than fourfold increase over two decades.
Kennedy, long known for challenging the medical establishment, has consistently raised concerns about environmental and pharmaceutical contributors to developmental disorders. Although many health officials continue to attribute rising autism rates to expanded diagnostic criteria and greater public awareness, Kennedy and others believe deeper causes may be at play.
While he has voiced skepticism about vaccine safety in the past — a position that has sparked controversy — Kennedy has more recently pointed to acetaminophen as a potential contributing factor to the autism surge. However, according to one senior official, he has shown caution about issuing a public warning without comprehensive data.
In addition to raising concerns about prenatal Tylenol use, President Trump will also highlight leucovorin, a drug commonly used to treat cancer and anemia, as a potential therapeutic intervention for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Though still under investigation, leucovorin has shown promise in small clinical studies, particularly for children with autism who also suffer from folate receptor autoantibodies, which can impair brain function.
Monday’s statement is just the beginning. The administration is preparing a comprehensive autism initiative that includes a dozen working groups exploring over 30 different hypotheses about autism’s root causes. A key literature review is still underway and will not be released immediately, but officials say it will support future policy decisions.
Meanwhile, the advice to pregnant women is clear: Use acetaminophen cautiously — and only when absolutely necessary.
Currently, acetaminophen remains one of the only over-the-counter options considered safe for pregnant women. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) have already been discouraged during pregnancy due to risks of miscarriage and birth defects.
