Trump admin announces Tylenol may increase autism risk if taken while pregnant

Trump announced on Monday that acetaminophen, or the generic name of the drug Tylenol, may be linked to a higher risk for autism in children if mothers take the drug while they are pregnant.

Previously, Trump had been talking about an announcement relating to autism and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr said that there would be a major announcement regarding autism. In April, Kennedy announced in a Cabinet meeting with Trump and other members of the Cabinet, "By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we will be able to eliminate those exposures."

He emphasized the surge in diagnosis of the disorder in April and reiterated those numbers on Monday. “Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400 percent. Instead of attacking those who ask questions, everyone should be grateful for those who are trying to get the answers to this complex situation," Trump added.

On Sunday, while he was speaking at Charlie Kirk's funeral, Trump said, “I think we found an answer to autism," and in reference to the upcoming press conference said, “I think it’s going to be one of the most important news conferences I’ll ever have, and I look so forward to it."

The announcement will be the first time the US government will officially link autism to acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol. There has been little research showing the link, however, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published a study last month that said prenatal exposure to the drug could increase the risk of neurological disorders, including autism. “Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD,” said researcher Dr Diddier Prada.

"Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications,” he added.