Tylenol is shown on sale in a pharmacy in New York City, New York, USA, September 5, 2025.
Kylie Cooper | Reuters
The Trump administration plans to announce on Monday that the use of Tylenol of pregnant women is potentially linked to autism, according to The Washington Post.
Federal health officials are expected to warn women who do not use Tylenol at the beginning of pregnancy unless they have a fever, the post reported Sunday, citing four people familiar with the matter. Officials will also highlight a folate form, known as leucovorina, as a possible autism treatment, according to the report.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the White House did not immediately respond to CNBC comments requests.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his administration would make an ad related to autism on Monday.
“I think it will be a very important announcement,” Trump said during the comments in an event organized by the American Cornerstone Institute. “I think it will be one of the most important things we will do.”
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would soon publish a report that links the use of the common analgesic acetaminofén, the generic name of Tylenol, during pregnancy to autism. Tylenol Maker actions Kenvue fell sharply after the report.
A Kenvue spokesman told CNBC in a statement that “more than a decade of rigorous research, backed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators,” “shows that there is no credible evidence to link acetaminophen with autism.
“We believe that independent solid science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism,” said the spokesman. “Otherwise, we disagree with any suggestion and we are deeply concerned about the health risk that this poses to wait for mothers.”
Tylenol added a section to its site that addresses the “coverage of recent media”, stating that “there is no proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism.”
Kenvue CEO, Kirk Perry, met with Kennedy earlier this month to emphasize that message, and try to discourage him to include Tylenol as a possible cause of autism in an upcoming report on the disorder, according to a separate report from the Wall Street Journal.
Kenvue executives also said that there are few alternatives safe to acetaminophen to reduce fevers in pregnant women, the journal said.
Food and drug administration and the main medical organizations have also maintained that acetaminophen is safe during pregnancy when taken according to the indications, but advises people to consult their medical care provider before using free sale drugs.
Kennedy has made autism a key approach to HHS, committing to “reach the bottom” of the cause of the neurological development condition. He has shared statements without support on autism in the past that surrounds his prevalence and causes.
– Annika Kim Constantino of CNBC contributed reports.
