The Trump Administration is set to warn that an everyday painkiller may trigger autism but a cheap medication could treat the condition.
Reports suggest officials plan to announce that pregnant women should avoid taking Tylenol unless they have a fever due to the increased risk.
The advice comes from a federal review into what is driving rising rates of autism across the US, an initiative spearheaded by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Officials also plan to to tout a medication called leucovorin as a possible treatment for the neurodevelopmental disorder, according to the Washington Post report.
Earlier this year, doctors told the Daily Mail they have seen remarkable results in nonverbal youngsters given the little-known drug, which costs just $2.50 per pill.
Leucovorin is derived from folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9), a vital nutrient that help with autism symptoms. Though it is not a cure for autism, it could help improve communication and other behaviors.
Autism rates have drastically increased over the past two decades, with one in 150 children having the disorder in 2000 to about one in 31 children having it as of April 2025.
While many doctors believe the autism rise if because we’re better at detecting it now, RFK Jr has hinted that environmental toxins are to blame leading him to pledge to probe food, pesticides and vaccines.
President Trump is expected to reveal there is a link between Tylenol usage among pregnant women and autism on Monday. (Pictured: Stock image)
Acetaminophen – the active ingredient in the common over-the-counter drug and medications across the world – is believed to increase the risk of autism in children of mothers who use it early in pregnancy
Trump teased the announcement Saturday during an event hosted by American Cornerstone Institute.
‘I think it’s going to be a very important announcement,’ Trump said.
‘I think it’s going to be one of the most important things that we will do.’
There is no proven percentage rate that shows how Tylenol usage correlates with autism, some previous studies have found early findings of a link between the two.
There is also no proven numerical data around Leucovrin and autism, research has proven that it improves certain symptoms.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is also expected to announce Monday that its new autism data science initiative has begun.
The initiative involves 13 teams that receive research grants for causes and treatments of autism and also authenticate previous studies.
This initiative is separate from the NIH report that is looking into autism research.
That will not be released this week as Bhattacharya told his colleagues he wants the review to be in-depth and reviewed by officials.
On Sunday, the White House pushed Trump’s autism initiatives further.
‘President Trump pledged to address America’s rising rate of autism, and to do so with Gold Standard Science,’ spokesman Kush Desai said.
Officials also plan to introduce a drug called leucovorin as a possible treatment for the neurodevelopmental disorder on Monday. (Pictured: Trump on Thursday)
‘Tomorrow’s announcement will make historic progress on both commitments.’
Frye has been working to better understand the workings of the new drug, something he thinks is modern medicine’s best kept secret and secret and building on solid research with one goal – a breakthrough in treating autism and perhaps even preventing it in the first place.
In his Arizona clinic, dozens of previously nonverbal youngsters have been helped to speak their first words. In some of these cases, they are talking in complete sentences and using a wide vocabulary in just a few months after taking leucovorin.
Women are already advised to take folic acid during pregnancy to prevent birth defects in the fetal brain and spinal cord, but Dr Frye believes the benefits extend well beyond gestation.
Its naturally occurring form, folate, is found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and lentils.
Dr Richard Frye (pictured), pediatric neurologist at Rossignol Medical Center in Arizona , previously told the Daily Mail he’s already seen remarkable results for nonverbal youngsters using leucovorin
Research suggests up to three in four autistic children don’t get enough folate supply to their brain, causing delays in speech and behavioral issues.
Leucovorin is approved in the US for patients to protect their cells – especially blood cells – against the damaging effects of chemotherapy, but doctors can prescribe it ‘off label’ for other conditions since it has been deemed safe by the FDA.
Dr Frye is one of just 50 doctors in the US prescribing it because it is not yet approved for autism. He believes dozens of his patients have seen ‘substantial improvements’.
Leucovorin would also be far cheaper than standard therapies like applied behavior analysis (ABA), which can cost up to $250,000 per year without insurance and involve up to 40 hours a week of intensive therapy.
Dr Frye cautioned that many autistic patients would still need standard therapies on top of the leucovorin. But he claimed drug may reduce the amount of therapy necessary.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .