The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has linked autism to the painkiller acetaminophen, commonly referred to by the brand name Tylenol, and recommended the use of leucovorin as a treatment for autism.

These are facts that we can share:

• Autism has no single known cause; the latest research shows both genetics and the environment play roles.
• The few studies that have suggested an association between acetaminophen and autism, when reviewed closely, did not account for key family factors.
• Acetaminophen use among pregnant women has remained stable or declined in recent decades, while autism diagnoses have increased during that same time period.
• Untreated fever in pregnancy is not without different and serious risks to the fetus, and to the mother; acetaminophen is one of the few safe options to reduce fever during pregnancy.
• Leucovorin has been mentioned as a potential treatment, but evidence supporting this is limited and inconclusive. More research is needed into this and other potential treatments to manage autism.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services also referred to a study from the UC Davis MIND Institute on the increase in autism diagnoses. Though the MIND Institute can’t be sure what study to which he is referring, they suspect it is a 16-year-old study. The study did not indicate that autism was an epidemic, only that it was not possible to account for the total increase in diagnoses with the variables that they examined. It was based on the best available information at the time, but the diagnostic criteria for autism have since changed.

Related Resources

• Coalition of Autism Scientists statement
• Autism Science Foundation Statement
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities Statement
• MIND Institute vaccine statement