The Trump administration plans to announce the results of an autism investigation
The Trump administration plans to announce discoveries of what could contribute to autism, but medical groups are challenging their claims.
President Donald Trump says he has the “answer to autism” and will reveal these findings in a highly anticipated report at the afternoon White House event on September 22nd.
The report follows Robert F. Kennedy Jr., director of Health and Human Services, who vowed to find the cause of the rise in autism incidents by September 2025, and is expected to list Tylenol as a possible cause.
“We’re going to announce autism on Monday,” Trump said on September 20 at a dinner hosted by the conservative American Foundation Stone Institute. “I think it’s going to be a very important announcement. I think it will be one of the most important things we do.”
He also mentioned the report at a Sept. 21 memorial rally for Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was killed on September 10 while talking to a crowd at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
“I think you think it’s amazing,” Trump told Charlie Kirk’s memorial rally in Glendale, Arizona on September 21. “I think we’ve found the answer to autism.”
Acetaminophen, often sold under the brand name Tylenol, has long been considered the safest option for managing headaches, fever and other pains during pregnancy.
According to the Maternal and Fetal Medicine Association, a large study has reported that between 40% and 65% of pregnant women use acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy.
By 2022, the autism rate in the 8-year-olds of the US had increased by 1 in 31, 3.2%, from 2.77% in 2020, 2.27% in 2018, and 0.66% in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kennedy claims that the US has grasped the “autism epidemic” that has been fueled by “environmental toxins.” Decades of research have not provided a solid answer on what contributes to autism, but many scientists believe that genetics plays a potential role in combination with environmental influences. They also say that the increased incidence of autism can be attributed to increased access to diagnostic tools and improved early detection.
A report published in BMC Environmental Health found that a large study with over 100,000 participants tended to find a link between acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders during pregnancy.
“Given the widespread use of this drug therapy, even a small increase in risk can have a significant public health impact,” said Dr. Didia Prada, assistant professor of population health sciences and policy at Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai.
Over 20 studies around the world have found that pregnant people frequently use acetaminophen to link autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to children. However, some studies have also found competing evidence.
A 2024 study in Sweden found that over 180,000 children who were exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy had no association between painkillers and the risk of children with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.
Some researchers say the data is not too cut and dry. Many health conditions that cause pain and fever, commonly treated with Tylenol, are also associated with an increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. For example, a 2024 Swedish study found that parents who “have high acetaminophen” tend to have an increased diagnosis of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders, and are more likely to inhale other medications or take other medications.
“Results suggest that there was not one confounding factor for a single ‘smoking gun’, but rather that the health and sociodemographic characteristics of multiple births each explained at least some of the obvious associations,” the study authors said.
It is difficult to dismantle the data of what is behind the link. Is it Tylenol or are these health conditions?
President Trump suggests possible treatment for autism
President Trump said the “big announcement” about autism will come from the White House on Monday, September 22nd.
Kamboo, the maker of Tylenol, says acetaminophen continues to be the safest pain relief option for pregnant women, without which women are suffering from potentially harmful fevers or at risk of using high-risk alternatives to reduce pain.
“We believe that independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism, otherwise we are strongly opposed to any suggestions,” said Melissa Witt, a spokesman for the company. “Over a decade of rigorous research approved by leading health professionals and global health regulators confirms that there is no reliable evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.”
Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is the clinical name of what most people call autism. Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society for Autism, is defined as “complex developmental conditions that affect communication, social interaction and behavior.”
“At this point, the weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk of autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive,” SMFM president Sindhu K. Srinivas said in a statement on September 5th. “In maternal fetal medicine, like all medicine, our recommendations are based on rigorous research and data, clinical expertise, and assessment of patient values and preferences.”
Contributors: Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart, Valerie Volkovich, Katherine Jackson, Reuters.
Adrianna Rodriguez can visit adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
