President Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell that could shake up every expecting mother’s medicine cabinet. On Monday, Trump stood at the White House alongside top health officials to announce a potential connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
The Daily Caller reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya are calling to limit Tylenol use unless it’s medically necessary.
Studies dating back to at least 2016, spanning toxicology, epidemiology, and lab animal research, suggest a plausible link between prenatal or early infancy exposure to acetaminophen—Tylenol’s active ingredient—and disorders like autism.
Trump highlighted the alarming rise in autism rates, noting historical figures of 1 in 20,000 or 1 in 10,000 from about 18 years ago, compared to a current 1 in 31 overall, and a staggering 1 in 12 for boys. That’s a trend no one can ignore, and it’s time we asked tough questions about what’s driving it.
The administration isn’t just sounding alarms—they’re acting. The FDA plans to issue a physician’s notice about acetaminophen risks, push for a label change on the drug, and conduct further studies to dig deeper. Meanwhile, HHS is rolling out a public service campaign to ensure families understand the potential dangers.
Adding to the momentum, the NIH is launching 13 new projects with a hefty $50 million budget to explore both environmental and genetic causes of autism.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also pointed to folate deficiency as a possible driver, with the FDA set to adjust labels to allow the use of leucovorin as a treatment. It’s a multi-pronged approach that shows they mean business.
Trump didn’t stop at Tylenol, either—he took aim at vaccine policies, recommending the removal of additives like mercury and aluminum, and suggesting that measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella vaccines be given as separate shots for kids.
A CDC vaccine panel has already endorsed splitting these into two shots for children under four, though a decision on delaying Hepatitis B vaccination from birth to age 12 was postponed last week. These changes signal a broader skepticism of one-size-fits-all medical mandates that many Americans share.
While some researchers are confident in a link—pointing to a 2016 Danish study tying acetaminophen to autism with hyperactive symptoms and an August 2025 literature review supporting the association—a 2024 JAMA study found no connection when comparing exposed children to unexposed siblings, hinting at genetic factors instead.
About half of pregnant women take acetaminophen, according to a 2025 study, often for minor aches rather than critical needs. “Only 7% of women take acetaminophen in pregnancy to treat a fever while 93% of uses are for aches and headaches,” said Ashley Keller, lead counsel with Keller Postman, in a recent interview.
That’s a staggering statistic—moms aren’t being reckless, they’re just uninformed, and that’s a failure of the system. Historically, acetaminophen has flown under the radar.
Synthesized in the 1890s and grandfathered by the FDA without modern clinical trials, it’s linked to more deaths than any other over-the-counter pain reliever, per a 2013 investigation. Prescription versions carry dire overdose warnings, but over-the-counter Tylenol does not—why the double standard?
The legal landscape is just as messy as the science. Kenvue, which took over Tylenol after Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer division in 2023 and sold its stake in 2024, is fighting an appeal in a massive class action lawsuit consolidating 600 cases for 250,000 plaintiffs over prenatal Tylenol use.
Oral arguments are set for October 9, 2025, after a 2023 ruling favored Kenvue when a judge dismissed key expert testimony.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are pushing for a label change, something the FDA now seems poised to address. Back in the 1990s, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Tylenol’s original maker, tried and failed to develop a safer alternative. If they couldn’t fix it then, why should we trust the status quo now?
Compare this to other pain relievers—since 1990, the FDA has warned pregnant women against aspirin in the last trimester, and ibuprofen has long been discouraged late in pregnancy.
Yet Tylenol, despite its risks, has largely escaped such scrutiny until now. That’s not just oversight; it’s a glaring blind spot in public health policy.
Trump’s announcement, paired with actionable steps from federal agencies, cuts through the bureaucratic fog that too often smothers tough conversations. It’s not about banning Tylenol or vaccines—it’s about empowering Americans with facts, not fear, and questioning medical dogmas that don’t hold up under scrutiny.