Trump Blames Tylenol for 'Autism Epidemic' Against Science

Although US President Donald Trump claims to have solved the mystery of the origin of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) , science is far from having a simple and conclusive answer to this question.

Under pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) commissioned a study in April to determine by September what caused the country's alleged "autism epidemic."

The number of autism diagnoses in the US has been rising for decades. About 1 in 36 children was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders in 2020—a jump from 1 in 150 in 2000, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On Monday (23/09), Trump said that acetaminophen would be the alleged cause of autism . "We strongly recommend that women limit the use of Tylenol [a brand name for acetaminophen] during pregnancy unless medically necessary," he claimed during a press conference at the White House.

Trump also said there are "rumors" that in Cuba "there is virtually no autism," he said, because consuming Tylenol requires money. "There are other parts of the world that don't have Tylenol and don't have autism. That says a lot," he added.

The US government has ordered that the drug be labeled in sales centers due to the risk it may pose.

In the United States, Tylenol is one of the most widely used over-the-counter analgesics and antipyretics, with millions of consumers choosing it annually to relieve pain and fever. The brand belongs to Kenvue, a spinoff of Johnson & Johnson. The manufacturer stated that it is concerned about the risk that Trump's statements pose to the health of pregnant women.

No scientific basis

The vast majority of the scientific community denies that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between acetaminophen and autism. During Trump's announcement, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement asserting that acetaminophen is safe and that the conditions treated during pregnancy "are far more dangerous than any theoretical risk and can cause serious health problems."

The Autism Science Foundation has denied that existing evidence proves this link between autism and paracetamol.

According to Christine M. Freitag, director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital Frankfurt, comprehensive studies do not demonstrate a causal effect between the use of the drug during pregnancy and ASD, there is only a minimal increase in risk.

Freitag highlighted that there is a polygenic risk for developing neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, and speech disorders. Thus, there is no specific medication or gene that causes these disorders, but rather hundreds and thousands of genetic variants. When these variants accumulate, the risk increases.

Researchers have also shown that environmental pollution, such as microplastics and polluting dust particles, can increase the risk of autism.

In April, cognitive neuroscientist and autism expert Geoff Bird from the University of Oxford and University College London argued that “the idea that we can suddenly figure out the causes by September is unrealistic.”

What causes autism?

According to medical literature, autism spectrum disorder results from changes in brain development during early life. According to Bird, there is consensus that approximately 80% of autism cases may be linked to inherited genetic mutations, although the exact cause of the disorder has not yet been fully identified.

Scientists have already identified that mutations in certain genes, such as MECP2, affect the structure and connectivity of neurons, but the evidence that these changes are directly linked to autism is not clear.

Scientists are also investigating whether factors such as pollutants, changes in the gut-brain axis, or the immune system may have a direct effect on neurodevelopment and autism.

However, Bird argues that the evidence supporting these theories is "not convincing." "Pollutants are certainly harmful, but I would be surprised if they were increasing autism rates," he said.

Autism awareness and quality of diagnosis

"Diagnosing autism has always been the biggest challenge in research because we don't have a biological marker for the autism spectrum disorder," Bird told DW. In other words, it's not possible to diagnose a patient simply by looking for cellular and molecular changes, for example.

According to the neurologist, however, despite the challenges, the evolution of clinical and social definitions since autism was first described 80 years ago helps explain the increase in diagnoses in the US.

“It’s now common to diagnose people with much more subtle signs, which explains part of the increased prevalence,” Bird said.

Changes in screening methods have also helped experts detect signs of autism in girls more often.

"Autism was defined primarily by how it presented in boys, and diagnoses for girls were tailored to that. Now we're expanding the criteria to take into account female representations," Bird said. "The natural consequence is an increase in the prevalence of autism."

The neurodiversity movement has also contributed to broader and earlier diagnostic criteria. Autism awareness movements have helped people understand how their own experiences may not be neurotypical.

“Awareness has likely increased the number of people seeking assessment and diagnosis, and so they may feel relieved when they find answers and possible next steps,” said Suzy Yardley, CEO of Child Autism UK.

Vaccines do not cause autism

The claim that vaccines are behind rising autism rates has also been repeatedly debunked.

Over the past two decades, scientists have conducted rigorous, large-scale studies to determine whether any aspect of vaccination could cause autism. None of them have shown any link between the development of autism spectrum disorder and vaccines administered during pregnancy or after birth.

“No link has been found between autism and vaccines, including those containing thimerosal, a mercury-based compound,” says the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The false claim that vaccines cause autism is based on a study published in 1998 that suggested a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and brain development problems.

Peers later identified that the study contained serious errors and it was retracted.

Last month, the CDC began a study to identify possible links between vaccines and autism, despite previous research by the agency itself indicating no such link exists.

In 2022, Kennedy went so far as to say that “no vaccine is safe or effective,” but he later refused to call himself an “anti-vaccine activist” when he was appointed to the Health Department.

The secretary also downplayed a measles outbreak in Texas that infected 500 people and killed two unvaccinated children this year.

“Publicity stunt”

Advocates in the autism community greeted RFK Jr.'s announcement with skepticism. The UK's National Autism Association called Kennedy's statement a "fake news publicity stunt."

"We are shocked by the insensitive and unscientific way Trump and RFK Jr. speak about autistic people," said Tim Nicholls, assistant director of policy, research and strategy at the National Autistic Association UK.

“Wouldn’t it be better if they could use their financial resources to improve the lives of autistic people and their families, and improve society’s understanding of autism?”

Bird believes that "tensions" in the way people think about and research autism are common, especially when it comes to the idea of ​​reducing or eliminating it. Some groups argue that autism is not a disease and "therefore there is nothing to 'cure,'" Yardley of Child Autism UK told DW.

But others understand that those who argue that autism is not a disorder “outweigh the voices of the large number of people with autism who feel their lives have been negatively affected,” Bird argues.