No, autism is not caused by Tylenol
Remember, in April this was promised by September that RFK would find the cause of autism. Like it is one single disease.
Well, after months of "research" the cause has been found at long last. Acetaminophen.
Now, we are expected to believe a bunch of flunkies accomplished in 5 months what actual researchers couldn't accomplish in decades. Also, when was the last time a medical breakthrough was announced from a White House press conference? Exactly.
Acetaminophen is the only approved pain medicine during pregnancy. Correlation is not causation.
Also, autism is caused by "too much liquid" being injected into infants. But that is just Donald "bring the light inside the body" Trump riffing off the cuff.
I am no fan of acetaminophen. It is too easy to damage your liver with it. I never take the stuff except after surgery. But the studies are mixed. They use something called meta analysis. This is a very difficult kind of study to perform, it is a study of studies. My clinical research text says in the chapter on meta analysis "do not start with meta analysis."
Why is it so difficult? Each study inside has its own methods, measurements, analyses, study groups, end points and so on. You're trying to compare apples to bowling balls and eke out something meaningful. During the pandemic, it was the tool of junk science around ivermectin. (Which went on to fail multiple double blind clinical studies.)
A brief history: a 2018 meta analysis found a 20% increased risk of autism from acetaminophen. This was contradicted by a 2024 meta analysis. Which was then contradicted by a 2025 meta analysis. As a researcher, I look at these confusing results and come to a conclusion: meta analysis sucks!
How strong are the studies comprising these data? Well participants were asked after their children were diagnosed at around age 3 with autism if they recalled taking acetaminophen during pregnancy. How's your memory for 3 years ago? Participants also trended older. Which comes with a bunch of other risks. How do the authors feel about it? They caution readers about reading too much into the results presented.
👻 darkghost [Left leaning independent]
2025-09-22 · 7 months ago
5 Comments ↓
🚀 stack [anarchist] · 2025-09-23 at 00:23:
I can't believe that our leaders cut perfectly safe and cheap opiates with tylenol which will destroy your body.
🦔 bsj38381 [Left-Leaning Libertarian] · 2025-09-23 at 08:14:
I really hate to be "that guy" but Autism is something you're born with, it's never caused by any medicines or anything else. I sometimes take Tylenol alongside other pain medications. I really am so dissapointed in knowing that a bunch of people will get screwed over for this as well too.
👻 darkghost [OP, Left leaning independent] · 2025-09-23 at 09:41:
It also ignores the blatant and obvious fact that autism (or autistic behaviors) predate acetaminophen's invention. We just stuck different labels on it, like imbecile idiot etc. Having a brother who is severely autistic, this wasn't Tylenol. He was actually part of a scientific study given the uniqueness of his symptoms. We know at least one gene that is responsible, having had his entire genome sequenced. He seems to be the only known individual with this gene. He has other neurological issues and has progressively gone blind and deaf. Fortunately (or unfortunately) he lacks the mental awareness to be really bothered by it.
Let's speak on leucovorin. The cancer drug that allegedly reverses autism. The evidence for it working is anecdotal. Nobody has studied it formally.
Nevertheless, the labels on Tylenol and leucovorin are being updated. There was no formal process for either of these updates. This isn't normal anywhere else in the world.
🚀 stack [anarchist] · 2025-09-23 at 14:05:
I can't imagine how difficult it must have been growing up for you. I am spending a lot of time with a very aged parent who is now largely deaf and blind, whose dimentia and pre-existant mental illness makes her largely unaware of that.
But yes, the tylenol thing is nuts
👻 darkghost [OP, Left leaning independent] · 2025-09-23 at 14:50:
When you don't know any different, it just is. I knew it was different but couldn't appreciate in what ways. I think it is also easier being a kid. My parents went through absolute hell but rose to every challenge.
I'm sorry for your parent. I know the difficulties of mental illness and dementia too well but adding blindness and deafness is just painful to hear.