Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has expanded the causes of autism to include using Tylenol in young boys who were circumcised. He claims they were twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism later in life. This general assessment is based on only “two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” Kennedy said at a Cabinet meeting. “It’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol.”
The political riot over the causes of autism began on September 22 when Kennedy and Trump recommended women avoid Tylenol when pregnant due to the unproven risk that the main active ingredient, acetaminophen, causes an increased risk of autism in children.
Their highly debatable statement has led women across the country to question its genuineness. Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, made a statement following President Donald Trump’s accusations, stating scientific studies conducted have “no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues.”
Acetaminophen is Safe
Acetaminophen is commonly used by pregnant women, and it is not only active in Tylenol. However, Tylenol is the safest and most highly recommended drug for them to take to break a fever while pregnant. Many accredited organizations have advised against the claims that Trump and Kennedy have made, and they have studies to back them up.
The Food and Drug Administration advises women not to take ibuprofen, after 20 weeks of pregnancy because it can cause kidney issues and premature closure of the ductus arteriosus. Both the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have endorsed the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy in moderation and as directed by your doctor.
Cabinet Meeting Goes South
During a Cabinet meeting yesterday, which was focused on peace negotiations in the Middle East and the government shutdown, Trump called on Kennedy to continue warning others against the use of Tylenol. “I would say don’t take Tylenol if you’re pregnant,” Trump said. “And when the baby is born, don’t give it Tylenol.” Kennedy acknowledges that the relationship between acetaminophen and autism has not been medically proven to support their statement, but it would be irresponsible to ignore the correlations.
“It’s not dispositive that it causes autism,” Kennedy said. “It’s so suggestive that anybody who takes the stuff during pregnancy is irresponsible.” Such claims are creating a rhetoric that pregnant women give their children autism through potentially life-saving medication, and that they should suffer instead. Or that baby boys who have been circumcised should tough out the pain. Without Tylenol, fewer choices for pain relievers that are proven safe. “You have to tough it out,” Trump said. “It’s easy for me to say.”
Statements from the Secretary of Health
Kennedy made several unfounded statements regarding a pregnant woman’s anatomy and the connection between autism and circumcision. While he acknowledges the lack of scientific proof, he believes the critics of this theory stem from the hatred they have for President Donald Trump.
He even took a stab at pregnant women and called them irresponsible. “Anybody who takes the stuff during pregnancy unless they have to is, is irresponsible,” Kennedy said in the Cabinet meeting. “It is not proof. We’re doing the studies to make the proof.” Kennedy mistook a ragebait video he saw on TikTok for what women truly use Tylenol for. He said the 15-second clip featured a pregnant woman “gobbling Tylenol” and cursing Trump.
To further dig his own grave, he said she was taking Tylenol “with a baby in her placenta,” even though a fetus is developed in the uterus and the placenta is a temporary organ that develops alongside the fetus and provides oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to it. He concluded his rant with another erroneous statement that “The level of Trump derangement syndrome has now left the political landscape and is now in the realm of pathology.”
