Overview

• At a White House Cabinet meeting on Oct. 9, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said circumcised boys have twice the autism rate and called it “highly likely” this stems from Tylenol given after the procedure.
• Kennedy reiterated warnings against Tylenol use in pregnancy and infancy yet conceded the evidence is not proof, saying the administration is “doing the studies to make the proof.”
• President Trump repeated his advice to pregnant patients to avoid Tylenol and told parents not to give it to newborns, despite longstanding clinical guidance that acetaminophen is an option for fever and pain.
• Medical groups and global authorities continue to dispute any causal link, noting the evidence is observational and highlighting a large 2024 JAMA sibling-controlled study that found no association.
• A new KFF poll reports only 4% of Americans believe the claim is definitely true, and Tylenol maker Kenvue says independent science shows acetaminophen does not cause autism.