On Monday, President Donald Trump spoke at a press conference about how his administration will address rising rates of autism in children.
Trump’s team, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, and acting Assistant Secretary for Health Dorothy Fink, spoke of how using Tylenol, also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol, during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism in offspring. Kennedy also emphasized the importance of conducting scientific research that is apolitical, even if it is perceived as taboo, and plans to investigate the role of ingredients in childhood vaccines.
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According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of childhood autism has exploded in recent years, increasing from 1 in 36 U.S. children in 2020 to 1 in 31 children in 2022. Symptoms of autism include difficulties with social communication, repetitive behaviors, rigidity around routines, and delays in language and cognitive skills.
Regarding the link between autism and acetaminophen exposure in utero, the hysterical reaction from media outlets and health experts would lead the average onlooker to believe such claims are unfounded. But previous studies have indicated an association between this exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
A recent review paper, conducted by scientists at Mount Sinai and Harvard University, examined 46 studies involving more than 100,000 patients across multiple countries. They found a positive association in 27 studies — that is, taking acetaminophen during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Acetaminophen can cross the placenta, affecting fetal neurodevelopment. As an endocrine disruptor, it can alter hormonal signaling and structural and functional development of the brain. But instead of welcoming further inquiry to better understand how and why, mainstream experts have resorted to fearmongering and condescension. If you are skeptical, I highly recommend reading the aforementioned study and contrasting its nuance with how this body of research has been portrayed by naysayers.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by families alleging that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen led to their child’s diagnosis of autism or ADHD. In 2023, a federal judge ruled there wasn’t sufficient evidence to link the drug to these conditions. Kenvue, Tylenol’s manufacturer, has stated that if the Department of Health and Human Services cites the drug in its discussion on autism, Kenvue will offer a “full-throated defense.”
Some experts will deny that autism is something preventable or influenced by one’s environment because, in their minds, these explanations are pseudoscience and dehumanize autistic people.
To improve treatment for a given condition, however, we must understand why it occurs, whether its origin is innate or not. For example, if we know the mechanisms behind why the brains of autistic people tend to develop differently, we can improve interventions, including leucovorin, or folinic acid, which was discussed during the press conference. If anything, failing to ask relevant questions because a subset of the population considers them heretical is a disservice to both pregnant women and autistic people.
Left-leaning activists are never in favor of biological or genetic explanations, preferring instead to dismiss them as eugenics, unless biology can be contorted to suit their agenda. But understanding environmental factors associated with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism doesn’t justify discrimination against those with a diagnosis. Acknowledging prenatal influences doesn’t mean that people with autism, or their mothers, are to blame or that there is something wrong with them.
Like almost everything these days, health literacy has become a political talking point. Those who can’t stand anything conservatives do will go to great lengths to paint health consciousness as fringe. But these tactics no longer work. More than ever, people who once trusted our institutions for guidance about their health and well-being recognize the extent to which we have been misled and, in some cases, outright lied to.
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Although acetaminophen has surely benefited many people as an over-the-counter remedy, pregnant women deserve an accurate assessment of what they’re putting in their bodies so they can decide whether associated risks are ones they’re willing to take.
Mothers already contend with enough anxiety and guilt regarding society’s judgment of their choices. They don’t need an additional layer of difficulty and confusion resulting from information being misrepresented or hidden from them.
Dr. Debra Soh is a sex neuroscientist and the author of The End of Gender. Follow her @DrDebraSoh and visit DrDebraSoh.com.