President Donald Trump, joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and several other health officials, revealed science on Monday that suggests the exploding number of autism cases in America may be linked to the use of the painkiller acetaminophen, commonly known by the trade name Tylenol, or vaccinations demanded for children.
The result is that new Food and Drug Administration recommendations will discourage women from using it during the entirety of a pregnancy.
RFK Jr. said he ordered research into all causes of autism.
He said the evidence shows clinical and laboratory studies suggest a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism.
Now a physicians’ notice is coming from the FDA about the possible link.
HHS said clinicians should “exercise their best judgment” regarding painkillers needed during pregnancy, he said.
Studies, he said, show Tylenol use can extend some illnesses.
“We expect this to be first announcement over coming years,” he said of autism, a “complex” condition.
He also said further review is going on into childhood vaccines. Research on that potential link he said, has been “actively discredited” in the past and so more studies are under way now.
He said whatever is discovered will be released.
BREAKING: President Trump just announced a link between TYLENOL and AUTISM — especially when taken during pregnancy
FDA is now recommending pregnant women don’t take Tylenol except in cases of extremely high fevers
Nor should Tylenol be frequently administered to young… pic.twitter.com/odBhSl7pgZ
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 22, 2025
Tylenol Use in Pregnancy Linked to 3x Higher Autism and ADHD Risk
A Johns Hopkins study of umbilical cord blood found that babies with the highest acetaminophen exposure were three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism or ADHD.
This wasn’t fringe science—it came from… pic.twitter.com/BX6zD8rmeU
— Epoch Health (@epochhealth) September 22, 2025
If the data show Tylenol use in infants is strongly linked to development of Autism, what does this mean for the pediatricians and pediatric professional societies that have told generations of parents that Tylenol is safe and effective for treating fever and febrile seizures in…
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) September 22, 2025
The government also announced $50 million in research grants for a variety of projects on the topics at hand.
Scientists will consider environment, biology, genetics and more, officials.
Trump said he’s been alarmed over autism rates for 20 years, when he met with RFK Jr. in his New York business office to talk about the problem.
Trump said the incidence of autism was one in 20,000, then one in 10,000, and most recently is one in 31 among children.
For boys that’s one in 12, he said.
“Everyone should be grateful for those trying to get the answers to this complex situation,” he said.
He suggested the evidence shows “there’s something artificial” impacting children because of the exploding number of cases, and he cited some population groups, like the Amish who avoid shots and vaccinations, who have an autism rate of very near zero.
Trump said, “All pregnant women should talk to their doctors about limiting use of this medication.”
And he said doctors use a “vat of 80 different vaccines” to inoculate children.
Letters are going to all Americans doctors about the new warnings.
Science actually shows that there’s a possible link between the relationship acetaminophen use and autism cases, administration officials said.
A report in USA Today said, “The report comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to find the cause of rising autism cases.”
The report claimed acetaminophen, often sold under the brand name Tylenol, has long been considered the “safest” option for managing headaches, fever and other pain during pregnancy.
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine suggested large surveys have reported that between 40% and 65% of pregnant women use acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy.
The report confirmed, “By 2022, the U.S. autism rate in 8-year-olds was 1 in 31, or 3.2%, up from 2.77% in 2020, 2.27% in 2018 and 0.66% in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Kennedy has cited an “autism epidemic” in the U.S., from “environmental toxins.”
The concept is not entirely new. Multiple prior studies have suggested such a link, while other studies have claimed to have discounted it.
The report said, “A large study encompassing over 100,000 participants found that higher-quality studies tended to find a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, according to the report published Aug. 14 in BMC Environmental Health.”
“Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications,” said study author Dr. Diddier Prada, assistant professor of population health science and policy, and environmental medicine and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“More than two dozen studies around the world have linked a pregnant person’s frequent use of acetaminophen to autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in their child. But several studies have also found competing evidence,” the report said.
Kenvue, the makers of Tylenol, said acetaminophen continues to be the safest pain-relieving option for pregnant women and, without it, women are in danger of suffering a potentially harmful fever or using riskier alternatives to alleviate pain, the report said.
Tylenol’s parent company breaks its silence as the Trump administration prepares to drop a bombshell report linking the drug to autism.
“We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion… pic.twitter.com/wumHwR8OGH
— Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) September 22, 2025
The Mayo Clinic explained the autism spectrum disorder is a condition “related to brain development that affects how people see others and socialize with them. This causes problems in communication and getting along with others socially. The condition also includes limited and repeated patterns of behavior. The term ‘spectrum’ in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and the severity of these symptoms.”
It explained, “Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions that were once thought to be separate — autism, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and a form of widespread developmental disorder that isn’t specified.”
The Scientific American said, “There is no simple answer to what causes autism, more than 50 years of scientific research has shown. It is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that arises from a constellation of genetic factors and environmental influences.”