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 and his top health aides plan to link common over-the-counter painkillers to autism and appoint another medication as a treatment that could potentially lead to brain development.
Management staff are expected to warn pregnant women against taking acetaminophen, which is often sold under the brand name Tylenol, except in cases of high fever. This warning occurs despite acetaminophen being long considered the safest option for managing headaches, fever and other pains during pregnancy.
Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Trump administration health officials are also expected to discuss a drug called leucovorin as a potential treatment for autism. But what is that exactly?
What is Leucovorin?
Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, is a high-dose prescription drug. Leucovorin is currently prescribed to combat toxic effective chemotherapeutic drugs such as methotrexate. It is also used to treat anemia.
Recently, some researchers have been trying to study leucovorin as a possible treatment for autism.
The suggestion that a single drug can counter the effects of autism is undoubtedly controversial. There is no single known cause for autism spectrum disorder. Symptoms and severity vary, so according to Mayo Clinic, there can be many causes.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Research recently found that one in 31 8-year-olds of 8 people have autism in 2022. In 2000, one in 150 children developed autism. According to the CDC, boys are 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed.
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.
Ali Neyman, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard’s School of Public Health, said people who had different diagnoses or diagnoses in previous generations have been diagnosed with autism.
“It’s not a trend, it’s about a better understanding of obstacles that are likely to be present all the time,” Nearman told USA Today.
What does medical research say about leucovorin and autism?
Indian researchers studied folinic acid in a small group of children. One group of 39 children received folinic acid, and a second group of 38 children received a placebo. In a November 2024 survey, children who received drugs had improved scores compared to the placebo group on the child’s autism rating scale. It is used to assess verbal and nonverbal communication, etc.
However, researchers not involved in this study urged caution when evaluating this and other studies on leucovorin as a possible treatment for autism.
Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer of the Autism Science Foundation, said:
Halladay said the foundation “doesn’t consider this a treatment for autism.”
Part of the autism community skeptical of simple treatments
Officials with the Autism Awareness Group said they will closely monitor the Trump administration’s scientific claims on autism treatment.
Emily Willingham is the science editor of Thinkers’ Autism Guide, a resource for autism, parents and autism specialists. In a recent post about the group’s newsletter, Willingham detailed why leucovorin is a unlikely treatment for the majority of autism.
Willingham said supporters of the theory believe leucovorin may be separated to supplement folate deficiency in the brains of people with autism. She said that if “mitochondrial deficiency” is associated with autism, administering leucovorin might be a way to improve symptoms. Still, previous studies have shown that under 5% of cases of autism are associated with mitochondrial deficiency, Willingham said.
She fears that promoting leucovorin as a treatment for autism is similar to how some people promoted ivermectin as a covid-19 antidote.
Based on conversations with parents, supporters and others in the autism community, many are skeptical of such simple answers to complex conditions.
Contribution: Adriana Rodriguez
(This story has been updated to add new information)
