Trump Administration's Announcement on Acetaminophen and Autism Sparks Widespread Criticism from Scientific Community

A recent announcement by President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. linking the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) by expectant mothers to a "very increased risk of autism" has been met with significant criticism from the scientific community. The announcement, made on September 22, 2025, suggests a correlation between the two, but experts argue that the evidence is not convincing and does not establish causation.

Key Takeaways:

• A 2025 meta-analysis found that most studies reporting correlations between Tylenol use and autism exhibited high selection bias, variability in selection, adjustment for potential confounders, and unmeasured familial confounding.
• A major study published last year on 2.5 million Swedish children, including sibling case-controls, found no association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children's risk of autism.
• Dr. Joel Shulkin, an assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatrician at Hopkins All Children's Hospital, criticized the reported correlation between Tylenol and autism, stating that observing a correlation does not establish causation.
• Prior research studies have indeed shown correlations between acetaminophen and autism, but these studies cannot determine causation.
• The claim linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in children is based on theoretical and animal models.
• A 2025 systematic review suggested an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), but the evidence is not conclusive.
• One of the authors of the study, Andrea Baccarelli, served as a paid expert witness in a lawsuit concerning prenatal acetaminophen use and neurodevelopment disorders in offspring, creating a conflict of interest.

Statistics:

• 2.5 million: the number of Swedish children studied in relation to acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism risk.
• 2013: the year the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) was released, introducing a significant change in the diagnostic criteria for autism.
• 20: the number of animal models used in one study to "prove" causation between acetaminophen use and autism.
• 1998-2018: the time period in which one study was conducted to link high acetaminophen levels in cord plasma with higher childhood risks of ASD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Sources:

• Dr. Joel Shulkin's email to The News-Letter
• A February 2025 meta-analysis
• A 2025 systematic review
• A study published last year on 2.5 million Swedish children
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
• A 2019 study linking high acetaminophen levels in cord plasma with higher childhood risks of ASD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder