Overview

• At a White House Cabinet meeting on Oct. 9, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said circumcised boys have roughly double the autism rate and called Tylenol given after the procedure the highly likely reason, as President Trump urged pregnant women and newborns to avoid the drug.
• The frequently cited 2015 Danish study was observational, lacked data on painkiller use after circumcision, and does not establish causation, with additional ecological analyses offering only correlation.
• Autism researchers and major medical groups say the evidence does not show that acetaminophen causes autism, noting a large 2024 JAMA sibling‑controlled study found no causal link.
• Kenvue states studies show no causal connection, and ACOG and the Society for Maternal‑Fetal Medicine continue to recommend acetaminophen in pregnancy when medically indicated as the FDA warns against ibuprofen after 20 weeks.
• Kennedy later criticized media coverage and cited a non–peer‑reviewed preprint while conceding the evidence is not proof, as a KFF poll found 77% aware of the claims, 65% judging them probably or definitely false, and 59% disapproving of his performance.