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This week’s Trump administration Cabinet meeting featured everything out of a medical professional’s nightmare. Confusion about what a placenta is by the man in charge of health in this country, more false claims about Tylenol’s link to autism and new untrue claims about circumcision, Tylenol and autism risk.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made unfounded claims about the “link” between “early circumcision” and Tylenol use in babies and autism.
In the Cabinet meeting, Kennedy said, “There’s two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” referring to the surgical procedure in baby boys in which the foreskin of the penis is removed.
“It’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol,” Kennedy continued, repeating the debunked claim that Tylenol use is linked to autism.
When asked for comment, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed to Kennedy’s recent post on X, which said, “as usual, the mainstream media attacks me for something I didn’t say in order to distract from the truth of what I did say … An August 2025 Preprints.org review by Patel et al. directly validates my point that the observed autism correlation in circumcised boys is best explained by acetaminophen exposure, not circumcision itself.”
This is not the first time Kennedy has suggested Tylenol causes autism; just a few weeks ago, he said Tylenol use in pregnancy is linked to higher rates of autism (this is not true) and told pregnant people not to take it.
“His continued obsession with autism is peculiar,” Dr. Mona Amin, a board-certified pediatrician in Florida and face behind the medical social media account @pedsdoctalk, told HuffPost via email.
“Instead of chasing procedures and headlines, he should focus on advancing real research like genome and exome testing to better understand genetic and neurodevelopmental factors that play a much bigger role,” Amin said.
Research shows that most autism cases are genetic, not caused by things like Tylenol or circumcision.
Kennedy’s comments about circumcision and autism risk only create more confusion for new parents while also peddling ableist ideas. It’s flat-out dangerous and flat-out wrong.
HuffPost spoke to pediatricians about Kennedy’s dangerous circumcision and Tylenol claims. Here’s what they said.
“There is no solid data” behind his claims.
“I’m highly concerned, like with most of his statements,” said Amin.
“We can’t make bombastic claims when they’re not supported by credible evidence. There’s no solid data behind what he’s saying,” Amin added.
Dr. Lauren Hughes, a board-certified pediatrician, owner of Bloom Pediatrics in Kansas and a medical communicator on social media, told HuffPost via email that she was first surprised that Kennedy had made this statement after so recently blaming Tylenol during pregnancy as a cause of autism.
“My second thought was ‘He’s lying again,’ because there is no credible study saying there is double the risk of autism,” said Hughes.
Kennedy’s post on X cites 2025 research that is “pre-print, not peer-reviewed,” said Amin. “The authors are real researchers, but the findings haven’t gone through independent scientific review yet,” Amin added.
“Most evidence cited is observational or animal-based, which can’t establish cause and effect,” Amin said.
This is important because studies need to account for things like environment and family genetics, added Amin. This research does not do that.
In regard to a Danish study from 2015 that Kennedy refers to later on in his social media post, “this study never mentioned the use of Tylenol … at all. Instead, they looked at pain related to circumcision in infancy causing autism,” Hughes said.
“That study showed a weak association in certain subgroups, but it was based on tiny numbers and didn’t even track Tylenol use,” Amin explained. “Experts have since said the findings were more about statistical noise than cause and effect.”
The 2015 study also did not control for “critical confounders” like genetics, family history or prenatal history, Hughes said. “These are all known risk factors for developing autism and should be adjusted for,” Hughes added.
“Before accepting this as truth,” Amin said of Kennedy’s claims, “we need well-designed, peer-reviewed studies that control for confounding factors, use accurate exposure data and replicate findings across diverse populations. Until then, [the 2025] paper should be seen as hypothesis-generating, not practice-changing.”
“These kinds of claims grab attention but not truth. And when public figures keep reaching for random connections, it spreads fear, not facts,” Amin added.
Babies aren’t even always given Tylenol during or after circumcision.
According to Amin, Kennedy’s claim that babies are given Tylenol for pain relief during circumcision “just doesn’t line up with reality.”
“In most hospitals, newborns are soothed with oral sucrose [sugar water] or other comfort measures during the procedure, not Tylenol,” Amin added.
For instance, according to their websites, both Texas Children’s Hospital and the University of Kansas Health System give babies a local anesthetic and a pacifier dipped in sugar water.
While some hospitals may give or prescribe babies Tylenol post-procedure, it is not an across-the-board rule.
“This is very site-dependent — some [babies] get acetaminophen, some get sugar water or breast milk or directly breastfeed,” Dr. Elizabeth Meade, a pediatrician in Seattle and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told HuffPost via email.
“And, if parents give Tylenol afterward, it’s usually a single dose. We can’t blame a one-time or two-time medication for a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference like autism,” Amin said.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Circumcision is a generally safe procedure that is not linked to autism.
While Kennedy has since stressed that he is linking circumcision and Tylenol use to autism, and not circumcision alone, these kinds of statements only confuse caregivers who want to make the best decision for their babies.
“Circumcision is a safe, commonly performed procedure, but as with any medical procedure, there are risks associated,” said Hughes.
Risks include bleeding, infection, and too much or too little skin removal, according to Amin.
Kennedy specifically referred to “early circumcision,” which is not a phrase Hughes uses — “I do not use the term ‘early circumcision’ and instead only call it circumcision.”
Multiple sources, including the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, say circumcision is most commonly done within the first days or weeks of a baby’s life. “Early circumcision” is a bizarre way to categorize something that is commonly recommended early in a baby’s life.
“It’s an elective procedure, not a medical requirement. With proper hygiene, being uncircumcised is completely healthy, too,” Amin added.
Some cultures and groups of people find circumcision to be controversial, “and that’s understandable,” said Amin.
“Parents should be able to make this decision based on their values and medical guidance without judgment. It’s a personal choice, not a moral or medical obligation,” she noted.
It’s a parent’s choice whether or not to have their baby circumcised, but a fear of autism should not be a reason not to, said Hughes.
Because, again, there is no proof that circumcision and Tylenol use are linked to a higher chance of developing autism.
There is no proof that Tylenol causes autism.
This is not the first time Kennedy has linked Tylenol use to autism, but there is no solid proof of a connection, experts told HuffPost again and again.
“An extremely well done study was published in April of 2024 reviewing acetaminophen use in pregnancy,” said Hughes. (Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol.)
Researchers evaluated roughly 2.5 million children and “after adjusting for sibling diagnosis, they found there was no associated link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders,” Hughes added.
“The use of acetaminophen in childhood has not been robustly studied, but no data exists showing a causal link,” she said.
“As a parent, I understand how confusing all this can feel. And as a clinician who walks families through these decisions every day, it’s frustrating to see misinformation replace genuine curiosity.”
– Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified pediatrician in Florida
The American Academy of Pediatrics says acetaminophen is safe for children when used as directed and discussed with a child’s pediatrician.
“Acetaminophen remains the safest option for pain and fever during pregnancy and infancy when used as directed,” Amin added.
Tylenol is commonly used to help control fevers in children and pregnant women, and having an untreated fever is dangerous.
“Here’s what parents need to understand: The developing brain is affected far more by untreated high fevers or infections than by a single, properly dosed pain reliever,” Amin said.
“The benefit of using Tylenol when truly needed outweighs any unproven theoretical risk,” noted Amin.
Autism is complex, but research is ongoing.
“Autism is complex. It’s not caused by one medication, one vaccine, or one parenting decision,” said Amin.
For decades, scientists have been researching the cause of autism, Hughes added.
“It is very, very important to state that no one wants to find the causes for autism more than pediatric health care providers,” Meade noted. “I say ‘causes’ very intentionally, because we know this is not a one-cause diagnosis, it is very multifactorial and complex.”
“We will keep looking, and keep investigating, including looking into acetaminophen use — but the reality is that many large and well-done studies have shown absolutely no causal link at this point,” Meade said.
“Research shows genetics play the biggest role — sometimes inherited from parents, sometimes through spontaneous gene changes that affect how the brain forms and communicates,” Amin said.
“So, please, if you have a child with autism, do not think you did anything wrong. And know that the scientific community has not, nor will ever, forget about you,” Hughes said.
Studies looking into environmental risk factors are ongoing, “but ‘environmental’ doesn’t mean things like Tylenol or vaccines. It refers to broad prenatal or early life influences like severe maternal infection during pregnancy, significant prematurity, or exposure to high levels of air pollution, lead, or pesticides,” Amin said.
But, these environmental factors do not flat-out cause autism, and instead increase autism risk in combination with genetic predisposition, Amin said.
“As a parent, I understand how confusing all this can feel. And as a clinician who walks families through these decisions every day, it’s frustrating to see misinformation replace genuine curiosity,” Amin said.
“We should be investing our energy into research, education and support for autistic individuals, not fighting baseless claims,” she added.