FOXX: I’ve heard a new Danish study just came out finding no connection between Tylenol and autism. What is your reaction?<\/p>\n
RFK Jr: It’s a garbage study. It should be retracted. pic.twitter.com\/Ov74eWJR3x<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Kennedy argued that the study gleaned its information solely from prescriptions, which he said limited its scope of women who took acetaminophen, the pain reliever that\u2019s often branded as Tylenol and can be purchased over the counter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a garbage in, garbage out study. The industry has the capacity to generate these studies all the time and it\u2019s fraudulent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The study\u2019s publication addressed Kennedy\u2019s concern of potential bias, stating that the \u201ctrue exposure level among those with low-level exposure was likely underestimated,\u201d but it also noted that past studies of over-the-counter drugs \u201chave shown such bias to be largely negligible.\u201d<\/p>\n One such study<\/a> carried out in 2021 examined Kennedy\u2019s concern, specifically whether Danish prescription registries are valid data sources for assessing the effects of aspirin and NSAID use. The study concluded that non-recorded use of both medications had a \u201cvirtually negligible\u201d influence on the true usage.<\/p>\n Another study out of Sweden<\/a> in 2024 also found no causal link between autism and Tylenol among siblings.<\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the 2021 study and on the latest study\u2019s address of his concerns.<\/p>\n Dr. Jeffrey S. Morris, a professor of public health and preventive medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who also serves as director of the school\u2019s division of biostatistics, called out that failed acknowledgement by Kennedy, while calling his criticism of the Danish study shortsighted and dishonest.<\/p>\n \u201cHe overlooks the fact that the paper acknowledged and earlier Danish research directly examined the potential bias from low-dose, non-prescription use,\u201d he said in an online response<\/a> to Kennedy\u2019s criticism.<\/p>\n \u201cMore critically,\u201d Morris said the study published this past week found that the children of high-dose prescription users, who \u201cshould be at greatest risk under his framework,\u201d had no elevated risk of autism. <\/p>\n \u201cNoting this as a limitation would be intellectually honest,\u201d he said of Kennedy. \u201cCalling for retraction, dismissing the study outright, along with all of the other literature failing to support his narrative, is not.\u201d<\/p>\n Kennedy, a year ago this month,<\/a> said he would identify the cause of the autism epidemic by September.<\/p>\n After failing to make that deadline, he said in October <\/a>that his office was working to prove that taking Tylenol while pregnant can cause autism in children. Despite admitting that no such conclusive evidence has been found, he has continued to urge caution when taking it during pregnancy. <\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> has also told pregnant women to \u201ctough it out\u201d and not take it if they have a fever, a direction that medical experts called <\/a>\u201creckless and irresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n![\"Health](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/69e28ddd1400009872eca64e.jpeg\")
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears before the House Education and Workforce Committee on Friday to defend his agency’s policies and goals.<\/p>\n