RFK Jr. Stirs Controversy With Upcoming Report Linking Autism to Tylenol Use During Pregnancy
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services are expected to come out with a report this month linking autism to the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, according to the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ sparked an immediate outcry among RFK Jr.’s critics.
The DHS report will also highlight low folate levels as a possible contributing factor and will likely recommend folinic acid as a treatment to reduce autism symptoms in some individuals.
Tylenol, made by Kenvue’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division, is widely used by pregnant women. After news of the report broke, Kenvue shares dropped 11%, though the company maintains there is “no causal link” between acetaminophen and autism. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists additionally labels the painkiller as safe to use during pregnancy.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic whose 2005 Rolling Stone article falsely linking vaccines to autism was later retracted, has repeatedly promised to “reveal the cause” of autism — pledging in April that “by September we will know.” Experts have called such claims unrealistic, given the complexity of autism research. While it’s unclear if vaccines will be addressed in the report, Kennedy allies suggest they may still surface.
The National Institutes of Health is leading the drafting process, with top officials including NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and CMS Director Dr. Mehmet Oz contributing. The final report, which will accompany new NIH research grants, is expected later this month.
The report is already drawing skepticism from scientists and medical experts who question both its timeline and its framing.
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