Summary:
The upcoming HHS report linking acetaminophen use in pregnancy and vitamin deficiencies to autism has sparked controversy, with experts stressing there is no credible evidence to support such claims. Medical organizations warn against misinformation, highlighting the proven safety of acetaminophen during pregnancy and the ongoing, inconclusive research on folate and autism.
Controversy Around HHS Report
The Trump administration is preparing to release a report that will allegedly link acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and certain vitamin deficiencies to autism spectrum disorder. However, critics note the report “lacks the scientific research to back up such claims.”
This adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly shared unsupported claims about autism and vowed to “get to the bottom” of its cause.
HHS confirmed the report is in progress but declined to comment on its findings. “Until we release the final report, any claims about its contents are nothing more than speculation,” said Rich Danker, an HHS spokesperson.
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What Does the Science Actually Say?
According to the Wall Street Journal, there is no credible scientific evidence that acetaminophen causes autism or that leucovorin (a folic acid derivative) can prevent it.
The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine reaffirmed that acetaminophen is safe and recommended for use in pregnancy. “Untreated fever, particularly in the first trimester, increases the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and premature birth, and untreated pain can lead to maternal depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure,” the society warned.
Dr. Alycia Halladay, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, criticised oversimplification: “It is disingenuous and misleading to boil autism’s causes down to one simple thing.” She explained that hundreds of genes are linked to autism, with complex environmental factors also at play. Any supposed link between acetaminophen and autism, she added, is “based on limited, conflicting, and inconsistent science and is premature given the current science.”
While some small studies have hinted at an association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and higher autism or ADHD risk, the largest NIH funded study involving U.S. and Swedish scientists found no increased risk. A U.S. District Court reached the same conclusion in a product liability case even before that study’s release.
Folate and Autism: A Complex Picture
Leucovorin (folinic acid) is a form of vitamin B9 typically used to treat deficiencies caused by chemotherapy. It is sometimes prescribed off label for autism, though the supporting evidence remains weak.
The theory comes from findings that many people with autism may have a metabolic difference reducing folate in the brain. Leucovorin offers a potential workaround.
Folate itself is critical for brain and nervous system development, which is why pregnant women are prescribed folic acid supplements. Folate deficiency in mothers raises risks of neural tube defects, including spina bifida, though the connection to autism remains unproven.
The Autism Science Foundation noted four studies pointing to a possible link between low folate levels in pregnancy and increased autism risk. Still, it cautioned: “This science is still in very early stages, and more studies are necessary before a definitive conclusion can be reached.”
