WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate health care policy committee, has officially distanced himself from the Trump administration regarding a recent advisory advising pregnant women against using Tylenol.
Cassidy (R-La.), who heads the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, stated in a public announcement that the “preponderance of evidence” suggests there is no established connection between the painkiller and an increase in autism diagnoses. He urged the Trump administration to present evidence that supports their claim.
“I appreciate President Trump’s intention to tackle this issue and support HHS [Health and Human Services],” Cassidy shared on X.
“HHS should release the new data it possesses to back this claim,” he continued. “The majority of evidence indicates otherwise. The concern here is that women might be left without options to manage pain during pregnancy. We need to approach this issue with empathy.”
The President and his senior health officials have taken a strong stance, asserting that acetaminophen, the main component of Tylenol, might significantly increase the risk of autism.
For years, extensive research and medical consensus suggested that Tylenol was among the safest options for treating pain during pregnancy, particularly as aspirin and ibuprofen are known to pose potential risks to the fetus in higher doses.
As of 2022, autism was reported to affect roughly one in 31 8-year-olds in the US, based on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In contrast, around one in 150 children were diagnosed with the neurological developmental disorder in 2000.
Driving the Trump administration’s mission to address the increasing rates of autism is HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with whom Cassidy has previously had disagreements.
Cassidy reluctantly confirmed Kennedy’s appointment as HHS secretary earlier this year, after careful consideration. Since then, the chairman of the HELP Committee has voiced concerns about some of Kennedy’s statements regarding vaccines.
Just last week, Cassidy presided over a hearing focused on the dismissal of former CDC Director Susan Monarez, which seemed to stem from a conflict with Kennedy about vaccine policies.
The White House released a fact sheet asserting that multiple studies indicate “the use of acetaminophen in pregnant women, particularly later in pregnancy, may result in long-term neurological outcomes for their children.”
One study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggested that “higher-quality studies are more inclined to indicate a connection between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and heightened risks of autism and ADHD,” according to researcher Dr. Diddier Prada.
“Given how widely this medication is used, even a minor increase in risk could have significant public health consequences,” he noted before the White House announcement.
However, that study failed to establish a direct association between acetaminophen use and autism in children.
Numerous medical professionals have expressed serious concerns regarding the claims made by the Trump administration.
“Today’s statement from HHS lacks the comprehensive scientific backing and dangerously oversimplifies the numerous complex causes of neurological issues in children,” stated Dr. Steven Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), in a statement on Monday.
“It is deeply troubling that our federal health organizations are prepared to issue announcements impacting millions of people’s health without solid data to support them.”
Kenvue, the producer of Tylenol, also strongly rejected the Trump administration’s allegations.
“Acetaminophen is the safest option for pregnant women to alleviate pain as necessary throughout their pregnancy,” a company representative stated.
“Without it, women are faced with dangerous alternatives: endure conditions such as fever, which could harm both mother and baby, or resort to riskier substitutes.”
