Trump administration to warn prenatal Tylenol use may raise autism risk, touts leucovorin as potential treatment

The Trump administration plans to announce that prenatal use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, may be linked to autism and that a low-cost drug called leucovorin could help treat the condition. The announcements are being coordinated as part of a federal review of factors contributing to rising autism rates, an effort led by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The White House has framed the moves as advancing what officials describe as gold-standard science and a data-driven approach to the disorder.

Officials are expected to advise pregnant women to avoid over-the-counter acetaminophen unless a fever is present, citing potential risks. They say no definitive percentage link has been established and that more research is needed, while noting that millions use Tylenol safely for pain and fever. The plan includes announcing that acetaminophen exposure during early pregnancy may be associated with increased autism risk, though causation is not claimed at this stage.

Leucovorin, a drug derived from folinic acid, costs about $2.50 per pill and is already used to protect cells during chemotherapy. Some doctors have used it off-label with autistic patients, reporting improvements in communication and behavior in nonverbal youngsters, though it is not approved to treat autism. Medical cautions emphasize that leucovorin should complement, not replace, standard therapies such as applied behavior analysis, which can be costly and time-consuming.

The administration is also expected to highlight a separate NIH effort. On Monday, NIH officials are set to announce that a new autism data science initiative has begun, involving 13 research teams funded to investigate causes and potential treatments and to validate prior findings. This initiative runs parallel to the broader review of autism drivers, which officials say will proceed with a thorough, official review before conclusions are drawn.

Context around rising autism rates remains complex. Diagnoses have surged since 2000, from about 1 in 150 children to roughly 1 in 31 children by 2025, according to the discussion surrounding the review. While some experts attribute the rise to improved detection, others, including supporters of aggressive policy scrutiny, have suggested environmental factors such as toxins could play a role. The notes emphasize that there is no proven causal percentage linking prenatal acetaminophen to autism and that leucovorin’s potential benefits for autism are not yet established as a cure. The plan to publicize these lines of inquiry reflects an effort to combine regulatory guidance with potential therapeutic avenues while awaiting more definitive research results.