Autism is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that cause people to behave, communicate, interact, and learn in atypical ways, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tylenol is made by consumer health company Kenvue, which was spun out from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, and generic versions of acetaminophen are also available.
“We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers,” Kenvue said in a statement.
Autism diagnoses in the United States have increased significantly since 2000, intensifying public concern. By 2020, the US autism rate in 8-year-olds was 1 in 36, or 2.77 percent, up from 2.27 percent in 2018 and 0.66 percent in 2000, according to the CDC.
SCIENTISTS EXPLORE GENETIC LINKS
Many experts, including the CDC, have largely attributed the autism rate increase to widespread screening and the inclusion of a wider range of behaviours to define the condition, leading to the diagnosis of individuals with milder or more subtle signs of autism.
“RFK also falsely asserted that environmental factors are the primary cause of autism,” Autism Science Foundation President Alison Singer said in April following a Kennedy press conference asserting environmental contributors were behind the increased diagnoses.
Singer said an “overwhelming amount of evidence” points to a genetic cause and said many scientists are exploring how environmental factors may influence a person’s genetic predisposition to autism.