Donald Trump is expected to link use of over-the-counter pain relievers to autism, raising concerns among major medical groups following health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vow to find a “cause” for the disorder by September.
The president is reportedly set to announce alleged links between autism and the use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in the widely popular Tylenol — during pregnancy.
Major medical groups have long found acetaminophen to be safe but have advised pregnant women to consult with their physicians before taking it, as with any drug during pregnancy.
Administration officials are also expected to tout leucovorin — a form of the vitamin B9, also known as folate — as a potential treatment.
Monday’s announcement follows a review of research led by Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health that found that children may be more likely to develop autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders when exposed to Tylenol during pregnancy. But other studies have found no such link.
Autism diagnoses have risen over the last two decades, largely due to an increased awareness and an expanding definition of the condition. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine skeptic, has pushed a discredited theory that routine vaccinations are responsible for the rise in the diagnosis.
New: YouGov poll finds
A snap poll from YouGov finds Americans are split on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine policy — but an overwhelming number of Democrats who responded disapprove.
Trump claims babies being given ‘massive vaccines like you’d give to a horse’
Returning to the White House on Air Force One after speaking at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, Trump called vaccines “very interesting.
“They can be great, but when you put the wrong stuff in them, you know,” he said. “And, you know, children get these massive vaccines like you’d give to a horse … like you’d give to a horse.”
Trump says he ‘found an answer to autism’
Trump is expected to announce Monday that his administration has identified what it believes is one of the root causes of autism.
Speaking during a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona, the president veered off at a tangent to promote his upcoming remarks saying, “I think we found an answer to autism.”
Offering no further details about what he intends to say about the condition, Trump did pledge that his administration “won’t let it happen anymore.”
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