U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a large-scale autism research initiative that will be officially presented at the White House in the coming days. According to The Washington Post, the government plans to warn pregnant women about a possible link between the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) in early pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children.
At the same time, officials intend to introduce leucovorin as a potential treatment for autism. Early clinical studies involving children diagnosed with autism have shown significant improvements in speech and comprehension.
The initiative involves Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Trump himself called the forthcoming announcement “one of the most important medical [initiatives] in the nation’s history,” saying: “I think we’ve found the answer to autism.”
The announcement will be accompanied by the launch of a new NIH program funding 13 research teams to study the causes of autism and potential treatments.
At the same time, part of the scientific community is voicing caution: the study results require thorough verification, and hasty conclusions may raise doubts among experts.