US President Donald Trump on Monday (September 22) suggested a connection between the use of over-the-counter pain medication Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism, a claim that many medical experts dispute.
“Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it. Not good,” Trump said. “For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary.”
He added, “You shouldn’t give the child a Tylenol every time he gets a shot.”
The President also mentioned leucovorin, a form of folic acid, as a potential treatment for autism symptoms during a White House event.
FDA involvement and Leucovorin approval
Trump said the FDA will be notifying doctors that Tylenol use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism, although he did not provide supporting evidence.
The FDA had recently approved a version of leucovorin made by GSK for use in a rare metabolic disorder called cerebral folate deficiency, which can lead to neurological symptoms seen in some autism cases.
According to the FDA, the approval followed a review of the use of leucovorin in 40 patients with the disorder.
Industry pushback
Tylenol is produced by Kenvue, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. Generic versions of acetaminophen are also widely available.
A company spokesperson said on Monday, “We disagree with the suggestion of a link, which is not based in science.”
Public health context
The Trump administration, driven by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement, has been under pressure to address the rise in autism cases in the US.
The administration has also been making broader changes to public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where an immunization panel recently altered COVID-19 and other vaccine guidance. Critics have noted the panel is staffed with figures who have been historically critical of vaccines.
