Kennedy and HHS to link Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism, WSJ reports

[highplainsdem]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce that use of Kenvue's (KVUE.N) popular over-the-counter pain medication Tylenol in pregnant women is potentially linked to autism, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter, without including evidence for the claims.

Kennedy, in a report, will also suggest a medicine derived from folate called folinic acid can be used to treat symptoms of autism in some people, the WSJ reported.

Shares of Kenvue slumped more than 6% following the news. Tylenol, whose active ingredient is acetaminophen, is a widely used pain reliever, including by pregnant women.

The report, expected this month from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which Kennedy heads, is likely to highlight low levels of folate, an important vitamin, and Tylenol taken during pregnancy, as well as other potential causes of autism, the report said.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kennedy-hhs-link-tylenol-use-pregnancy-autism-wsj-reports-2025-09-05/

[BlueKota]

1. OMG

He's beyond ridiculous. What's his obsession with autism anyway?

[Karasu]

10. The regime was (likely still is) attempting to compile a list of autistic people for...some reason. Given how fascists

operate, one can only imagine.

[BlueKota]

16. It's disturbing

[Skittles]

23. and he doesn't know jackshit about autism

his statement that they "don't work", for example, shows how clueless he is regarding the spectrum

[Lovie777]

2. I don't know any doctor that would advise a pregnant women to take Tylenol ...............

or any pain medication.

Ya think mush brain would advise pregnant women of drug and alcohol use.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. It's the NHS recommended painkiller during pregnancy

Paracetamol and pregnancy
Paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you're pregnant. It's commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-fertility-while-taking-paracetamol-for-adults/

(Paracetamol=acetaminophen)

And the NIH, 2023:

Acetaminophen is considered by most healthcare providers to be the pain reliever of choice during pregnancy. It has been suggested to use this medication only as needed and to take the lowest effective dose, unless your healthcare provider has given other instructions.
]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK582555/

Though a few recent studies have wondered if that should be changed:
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aogs.14557
https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2022-070753/rr-0
https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/using-acetaminophen-during-pregnancy-may-increase-childrens-autism-and-adhd-risk/

[karynnj]

27. What if they have a high fever ?

Last edited Fri Sep 5, 2025, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Not to mention, given so little proof, I would imagine that many women, who have children with autism and who have children far from the spectrum, took Tylenol because they were advised to by their doctors.

[GusBob]

3. *Sniff, Sniff* Whats that smell?

I smell stock manipulation

Or something along the lines: Donate to our PAC or we will mention your products

[yardwork]

13. Bribery and extortion.

[Prairie Gates]

4. Ay yay yay

[twodogsbarking]

5. He wants everyone to suffer what he has had to put up with his entire life.

[maxsolomon]

6. Kenvue lawsuit in 3... 2... 1...

The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Does he know that Tylenol is used around the world? I have bought it in much higher

dosages OTC while traveling just to have it.

[Karasu]

11. No one in this regime knows fuck-all about the US, let alone the rest of the world.

[yardwork]

14. They don't know fuck-all about health or health care either.

[mwooldri]

19. Yet in other places the amount you can buy OTC...

... is limited B/C people were using paracetamol overdoses for terminating their existence.

[bmichaelh]

8. Corruption and ignorance continues

Acetaminophen is used in other products besides Tylenol.

I expect lawsuit coming to RFK Jr. and HHS.

The price of their stock plummeted.

https://www.rawstory.com/rfk-jr-autism/

Wonder who in the administration knew that this report is coming and sold their stock.

Now if he tries to remove this product from store shelves, there will be a lot of people suffering.

I can not take other products like Advil or Aleve because I have Crohn's disease.

[BlueKota]

17. Also Tylenol was what doctors advised people

diagnosed with Covid to take for pain relief. When I was having to take Prednisone for my sinus infection recently I was told to use Tylenol and not Ibuprofen my usual choice for pain, because it could cause complications.

I hope Tylenol will remain available for you and all who need it.

It has to be stock manipulation, I agree. Otherwise the owners of these drug companies would be screaming at tsf to fire Kennedy themselves.

[slightlv]

24. You're hard pressed to NOT find acetaminophen

In some dosage in OTC meds. It and dyphenhydyronol(sp) are pretty much the main ingredients in a huge amount of OTC meds.

Tylenol has a lot to do with liver trouble. My mom was diagnosed years ago and never drank in her life (except for the pina colada I made her once). BUT she'd been a lifetime on tylenol and other pain killers because of her back, which 3 surgeries did nothing to alleviate. You want to blame tylenol for something, I can think of a few things. But RFKjr just wants to find that "magic pill" he can blame everything on, and wallah! he gets credit for ending all illness in america.

Autism is multipronged, and I do believe portion of the blame could be environmental toxins. We're seeing a lot of illnesses that have gone to what I would call epidemic levels here in the U.S. that's not shown to be the case in other, less "1st world" countries. Mainly, I think, because we're polluting everything we need to actually live.

[eringer]

12. HHS -- HA HA STUPID

How stupid can you get!

[aurora the great]

15. A few studies does not a change in policy make.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is an idiot who knows nothing about medicine or medical matters Period., He is a science skeptic. He relies on quack research, fringe opinions and uses small studies to validate his point. Tylenol is the pain reliever of choice for pregnant women. It is recommended (used in moderation) by the NIH for that purpose. . Of course, the use of prescription or OTC medication needs to be monitored by a physician. That is common sense.

[hlthe2b]

18. Show me the data--the peer-reviewed (actual scientifically reviewed studies). I am no acetaminophen

fan myself. There is a place for it, but many years ago, I helped investigate a cluster of acute liver failure (and deaths) among alcoholics who were refused narcotic painkillers for acute and severe pain (for justifiable, yet modifiable reasons). They were instead given high doses of Tylenol. A major change in label resulted (and yeah, those treating physicians SHOULD have known beforehand that this was a high-risk consequence, but at least the label clearly shows the risk, now).

But acetaminophen and autism? Count me skeptical. Not to mention, many of these women given Tylenol were likely given Tylenol 3 (with codeine)--at least postpartum in recent years. Nursing exposures are notoriously difficult to evaluate but likewise unlikely. I can't think of many OB/GYNs who would be indiscriminately using much acetaminophen or Tylenol 3 in pregnancy.

Screw you, Bobby. There is no way you could have done more than a quick retrospective case review in this amount of time--not even a retrospective cohort study. Those are good for hypothesis-generation, but certainly not to establish causality.

The truth is that most of the increase in autism is due to the fact we look for it, clinical and epidemiological case definitions have changed over decades to broaden the 'net," so to speak, and insure
that we don't miss children who could be helped early on. This likewise applies to how we look for vaccine outcomes. Many self-reported "cases" may have little to do with the vaccine exposure (some in fact may have occurred before the vaccine was even given), but we allow them to be reported to evaluate as broadly as possible and be eliminated after the fact in detailed review. RFK JR has zero understanding of these principles and he has likewise surrounded himself with those equally ignorant.

[Blasphemer]

20. May I share the content of this post?

With any attribution you would like. It’s the clearest and most succinct explanation I have seen.

[hlthe2b]

21. Yes.

Help yourself.

(I prefer to remain anonymous, but I can assure you I have the training, experience, and credentials to back it up. )

[Blasphemer]

22. Thank you! nt

[hamsterjill]

25. He is just making shit up.

I have a 42-year old child and tylenol was what I was told I could take when pregnant and had a headache. Tylenol does not have the risk of bleeding like the NSAID's do.

By the way, my kid and every other kid born to any of my friends who were pregnant around that same time (we all shared our pregnancy milestones, etc. like most women do with their friends) who were also advised to take tylenol - are all just fine.

[Klarkashton]

26. He has this obsession with the idea that corporations sell defective

Products and buying off all the regulators. This comes from his past where the low hanging fruit was industrial pollution.

All the real evidence suggests that Autism is genetic, not caused by the environment or medications. He will never admit this since he has a vested interest in taking corporations to court about anything he can think of.