US President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to make a “historic” medical announcement, tying the use of Tylenol during pregnancy to autism risk, while promoting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential treatment, WSJ reported.
According to officials familiar with the plans, the Health and Human Services Department will roll out a warning to pregnant women against early use of acetaminophen (Tylenol’s active ingredient). which is one of the world’s most commonly used medicines. According to sources, Officials have been reviewing recent studies, including one from Mount Sinai and Harvard, that flagged a possible link between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The plan is to warn pregnant women against taking Tylenol early in pregnancy unless they have a fever, to avoid the potential risk of their child developing autism.
In addition, the administration will highlight research into leucovorin as a possible counterpart. The lesser-known drug is usually prescribed for vitamin B9 deficiency or to offset the side effects of chemotherapy. Early clinical trials involving autistic children have shown what some researchers described as “remarkable improvements” in speech and social communication. The Food and Drug Administration has been reviewing draft language around leucovorin, though no formal approval for autism treatment has been given.
Trump previews “answer to autism”
Donald Trump has long kept autism as a top priority during his recent political campaign, often advocating action to combat it amid rising cases in the US. The initiative involves Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, and other senior officials.
Trump teased the move over the weekend at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona, telling mourners: “Tomorrow we’re going to have one of the biggest announcements medically in the history of our country. I think we found an answer to autism.”
White House spokesperson Kush Desai followed up with a statement: “President Trump pledged to address America’s rising rate of autism, and to do so with Gold Standard Science. Tomorrow’s announcement will make historic progress on both commitments.”
The NIH is also expected to announce a new autism data science initiative, awarding grants to 13 research teams to study causes and treatments, alongside efforts to validate past research. According to the sources, this initiative is separate from a larger NIH autism report still in progress.
Kennedy at the helm
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly warned of an “autism epidemic” linked to environmental toxins and pushed for aggressive testing. “We’ve launched a massive research effort with hundreds of scientists worldwide,” Kennedy said at a Cabinet meeting earlier this year. “By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic, and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”
Kennedy recently appointed David Geier, a longtime vaccine-autism theorist, to study potential links despite decades of evidence disproving any connection.
On the other hand, Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has quietly met with administration officials in recent weeks, questioning the science behind the federal review. Medical societies continue to list acetaminophen as safe for pregnant women when used as directed, though they advise consultation with doctors for all medication during pregnancy.