Cassidy Breaks with Trump on Tylenol-Autism Link

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy, a licensed physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, publicly broke with the Trump administration on Monday over the White House warning that pregnant women should avoid Tylenol. Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a statement that the preponderance of evidence shows there is no solid link between acetaminophen and a spike in autism diagnoses, and he urged Health and Human Services to release the underlying data used to justify the claim. On X, Cassidy wrote: "I understand and applaud President Trump's desire to address this issue and to support HHS. HHS should release the new data that it has to support this claim. The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case. The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy. We must be compassionate to this problem." Cassidy’s remarks reflected a growing split with the White House over how aggressively to connect prenatal medication use with neurodevelopmental outcomes."

The president and his top health officials had framed the issue as a protective measure against a rise in autism cases, saying that acetaminophen use during pregnancy, particularly late in gestation, may pose long-term neurological risks for children. HHS, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has pressed studies that it says show a potential association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and later neurodevelopmental outcomes. The White House released a fact sheet Monday that highlighted several analyses the administration says point to possible risks, while noting that evidence is not uniformly definitive. The mounting tension over how to present these risks comes as Cassidy has pressed for clarity about the cited data and the methodology behind the advisory."

In a broader context, lawmakers and researchers have long weighed Tylenol against alternatives such as aspirin or ibuprofen during pregnancy. Historically, acetaminophen has been viewed as one of the safer options, with major medical groups cautioning that any potential risk, even if small, would have implications given how commonly the drug is used. The latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that autism spectrum disorder affected about one in 31 eight-year-olds in 2022, a rise from roughly one in 150 children diagnosed in 2000. Those numbers have fueled ongoing debates about environmental, genetic and other risk factors, and they have fed a bipartisan push to ensure that public health guidance is supported by solid, replicable evidence.

The White House emphasized that the advisory is meant to heighten awareness and prompt further study, while acknowledging that more research is needed to draw firm conclusions about causality. The Mount Sinai study highlighted by the administration cautioned that higher-quality investigations are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and later neurodevelopmental concerns, yet it also notes limitations that prevent establishing a direct causal relationship. "Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications," said Dr. Diddier Prada, a Mount Sinai researcher involved in the analysis. The study explicitly stopped short of proving a direct cause-and-effect link to autism.

The White House’s posture has drawn immediate pushback from medical groups and industry alike. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said in a statement that today’s announcement is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and warned that presenting conclusions without robust data could mislead patients and providers about safe pain-management options during pregnancy. "It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data," said ACOG president Dr. Steven Fleischman.

Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, also disputed the administration’s portrayal of risk. A company spokesperson said acetaminophen remains the safest pain-reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout pregnancy, arguing that without it, patients might face fever or other conditions that could pose risks to both mother and fetus. The company asserted that the existing data do not support a causal link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and autism.

Cassidy’s resistance to the administration’s framing stems in part from years of caution over vaccine policy statements emanating from HHS, particularly as Kennedy has pursued aggressive public health campaigns on neurological and chronic conditions. Cassidy, who helped shepherd Kennedy’s confirmation to lead HHS earlier this year, has publicly expressed concerns about some vaccine-related statements and policy directions. Earlier this year, Cassidy presided over a HELP Committee hearing examining the firing of former CDC Director Dr. Monarez amid what supporters described as disputes with Kennedy over vaccine policy. The clash underscored the partisan and policy tensions surrounding health communications from the administration.

In responding to Cassidy’s concerns, White House aides stressed that the goal is to reduce the burden of rising neurodevelopmental disorders by encouraging prudent use of medications and by strengthening the evidence base. They noted that the data landscape is complex and evolving, and that federal agencies plan to continue reviewing new studies as they become available. The administration also pointed to independent experts who have cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions from single studies, urging a careful interpretation of the data and an emphasis on informed decision-making for expectant mothers.

As the debate plays out in Congress and in public health circles, Cassidy has signaled that he intends to keep pressing for transparency. He said the HELP Committee will scrutinize the data underpinning the advisory and push for clear disclosure of the datasets and methods that informed the administration’s conclusions. The exchange highlights the broader politics of health policy, where scientific uncertainty, public messaging, and legislative oversight intersect at a moment of heightened public sensitivity around autism and the safety of medications during pregnancy.

With the potential implications for patient care, researchers and clinicians are watching closely how the administration balances precaution with the need to maintain access to effective pain management during pregnancy. The interplay between data transparency, public health policy, and clinical practice will likely shape upcoming debates on prenatal care protocols and the communications strategy accompanying any future guidance.