In meeting with RFK Jr., CEO of Tylenol maker stresses there is no clear link between medication and autism, WSJ reports

CNN The interim CEO and director of drugmaker Kenvue which makes the common pain reliever Tylenol met with US Vitality and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr privately this week in an attempt to dissuade him from including the drug as a promising cause of autism in an upcoming description the Wall Street Journal shared Friday HHS representatives have disclosed that the department is conducting a inquiry of the causes of autism and latest reports suggest that HHS will issue an analysis that links the evolution of autism to the mother s use of Tylenol during pregnancy among other prospective causes The description is expected to be disclosed this month Tylenol is a brand name for the pain reliever acetaminophen The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has revealed that there is no proof of a causal link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and a child s finding of autism In a report Friday a spokesperson for HHS commented that representatives routinely meet with stakeholders for their perspectives We are using gold-standard science to get to the bottom of America s unprecedented rise in autism rates HHS executives regularly meet with stakeholders to get their perspective about our agenda to Make America Healthy Again Any suggests regarding this or any other specific meeting however are nothing more than speculation unless officially discussed by HHS HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon reported Kenvue revealed in its own comment Friday that it engaged in a scientific exchange with HHS functionaries but that it is concerned about the forthcoming HHS analysis potentially causing confusion As we would with any regulator who reaches out to us we engaged in a scientific exchange with the Secretary and members of his staff as it relates to the safety of our products Our position remains the same in evaluating available science we continue to believe that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism and global medical regulators independent inhabitants medical organizations and health professionals agree Kenvue noted We are concerned about the possible for consumer confusion and misinformation about the safety of taking acetaminophen during pregnancy particularly as cough cold and flu season approaches the announcement reported We encourage regulators to continue to objectively review the scientific evidence on this issue as they have done for a multitude of years FDA has been looking at this issue for over a decade and has conducted multiple reviews since and continues to recommend acetaminophen in pregnancy and maintain the same labeling requirements The company also recommended that expecting mothers speak to their soundness care provider before taking any over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen which is also indicated on the product label Tylenol is widely used in the US including during pregnancy The US Food and Drug Administration recommends against using other common pain relievers nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in pregnancy at weeks or later because they can conclusion in low amniotic fluid There is no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues Dr Christopher Zahn chief of clinical practice for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists revealed in a message this month Neurodevelopmental disorders in particular are multifactorial and very complex to associate with a singular cause Pregnant patients should not be frightened away from the numerous benefits of acetaminophen which is safe and one of the scant options pregnant people have for pain relief