Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to drop a bombshell report linking Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism — and touting a vitamin-based therapy as a potential treatment for the disorder, according to a report.
The Department of Health and Human Services report, which is expected to be published this month, will raise “low folate levels and acetaminophen during pregnancy” as possible causes of autism, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
The review will also highlight folinic acid, known as leucovorin, as a possible therapy to ease autism symptoms in some patients, sources told the Journal.
Autism affected about one in 31 8-year-olds in the US in 2022, according to federal estimates.
Tylenol, manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Kenvue subsidiary, is one of the most widely used over-the-counter painkillers — including among pregnant women.
Its active ingredient, acetaminophen, has been studied for decades.
Some research has suggested risks to fetal development, but other studies found no such link.
“We are using gold-standard science to get to the bottom of America’s unprecedented rise in autism rates,” an HHS spokesperson told The Post Friday.
“Until we release the final report, any claims about its contents are nothing more than speculation.”
The Post has sought comment from Kenvue.
Shares of Kenvue plummeted by 16% after the Journal initially published its story during the course of trading on Wall Street on Friday afternoon — though the stock recovered somewhat near the closing bell.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to say Tylenol is safe for pregnant women, though it advises all expectant mothers to consult doctors before taking any medication.
Kennedy’s report will review existing scientific literature, not a new clinical study, sources told the Journal.
Researchers have long cautioned that pinpointing autism’s causes takes years of rigorous work, with genetic factors already proven to play a major role.
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” a Kenvue spokeswoman told the WSJ.
“We have continuously evaluated the science and continue to believe there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.”
The looming report could go beyond Tylenol, sources told the Journal, by listing other possible causes of autism and calling for more research.
It is not yet clear whether vaccines — the longtime target of Kennedy’s skepticism — will be included.
Kennedy has teased this moment for months.
“By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic,” he declared during an April cabinet meeting with President Trump.
Critics blasted the pledge as scientifically impossible on such a timeline.
Advisers quickly tempered expectations, promising instead that the National Institutes of Health would launch a new research initiative by September.
The draft now circulating within HHS takes a “measured approach,” according to people familiar with the work, describing what is known and unknown about autism rather than making sweeping claims. The NIH is spearheading the drafting process, with release expected later this month.
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Kennedy’s fixation on autism dates back nearly two decades. In 2005, he penned a since-retracted Rolling Stone article linking vaccines to the disorder, a claim rejected by mainstream science.
“I think that he’s going to talk about vaccines as well,” Brian Hooker, chief scientific officer of Kennedy’s former nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, said recently in a video.
“I do believe he will bring up the Tylenol connection, but I do also believe that he will look at vaccines and vaccine components.”
Major studies have repeatedly found no link between autism and vaccines, including the measles shot, the preservative thimerosal or multiple doses given at once.
At the same time, HHS is preparing to unveil major grant awards to academic institutions under NIH’s autism data science initiative.
NIH solicited proposals in May, signaling the administration’s broader push into autism research.
NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Medicare chief Dr. Mehmet Oz are said to be playing key roles in shaping the autism report, sources told the Journal.
The final language is still being hammered out — and it remains uncertain whether the White House will sign off before publication.
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