RFK Jr. and other health leaders are warning against routine use of acetaminophen and say an existing drug can be used to treat autism.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials announced on Sept. 22 that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, may be associated with autism, a disorder with a wide range of symptoms. They also said that folinic acid, also known as leucovorin, looks like a promising therapy for autism.
Here’s what to know about the new announcement, autism, and folinic acid.
Tylenol Link
Officials said the available evidence is sufficient with regard to acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) and neurodevelopmental disorders to issue a new warning against using acetaminophen during pregnancy.
“We now have data we cannot ignore,” Dr. Marty Makary, the Food and Drug Administration’s commissioner, told a briefing in Washington.
That includes a 2019 study from Boston University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that analyzed umbilical cord plasma and determined in-utero exposure to acetaminophen heightened the risk of developing autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), two neurodevelopmental disorders.
A 2025 review also found “evidence consistent with an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence” of neurodevelopmental disorders, according to Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, a dean at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and his coauthors.
In a notice to physicians dated Sept. 22, Makary said that “evidence has accumulated suggesting that the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children.”
He said that doctors should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, while being aware that it’s the safest over-the-counter medicine for fever and pain.
Other experts dispute that the evidence supports a link, pointing in part to a 2024 Swedish study that analyzed the records of nearly 2.5 million children and concluded there was no link between fetal acetaminophen exposure and the development of autism or ADHD.
“At this time, the weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk for autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive,” Dr. Sindhu Srinivas, president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, said in a recent statement. The organization said Monday it is standing behind its recommendation that acetaminophen is safe to treat pain and fever in pregnant women.
A spokesperson for Kenvue, the parent company of Tylenol’s manufacturer, told The Epoch Times in an email on Sept. 22 that “over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.”
