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.