Does Tylenol Cause Autism?

RFK Jr.’s big report on autism is scheduled to come out this month, and we’re hearing that it might point the finger at Tylenol as a possible cause. And the science on this gets confusing fast. Because some studies do suggest that taking acetaminophen while you’re pregnant could increase your kid’s chance of being autistic or having ADHD. But other research doesn’t find a clear connection — and scientists think there could be a whole other explanation here. So, what’s going on?? We sort it out, with help from epidemiologist Prof. Brian Lee. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTylenolAutism 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The fears around acetaminophen and autism

(02:18) Could acetaminophen be an endocrine disruptor?

(06:25) Could acetaminophen affect brain development?

(10:44) What if something else is going on?

(20:26) Is there a link between acetaminophen and autism — or not??

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking and consulting by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, So Wiley, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode and our other episode on autism. 

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