By: Jerome Brookshire

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to release a long-anticipated federal report on autism later this month that is already sparking intense debate within the scientific community, political circles, and Wall Street. According to a report that appeared on Friday in The Wall Street Journal, the report will review research suggesting that both low levels of folate in pregnant women and the widespread use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — may be linked to the development of autism in children.

The document, expected from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will also highlight early evidence that a form of folate known as folinic acid, or leucovorin, may alleviate some symptoms of autism in certain patients. While the report has not yet been finalized, its anticipated conclusions have already rattled pharmaceutical companies, fueled new lawsuits, and rekindled old controversies around Kennedy himself — who first rose to prominence two decades ago as one of the nation’s most outspoken vaccine skeptics.

The forthcoming HHS report represents the Trump administration’s first official attempt under Kennedy’s tenure to grapple with the dramatic rise in autism diagnoses, which now affect roughly one in 31 eight-year-olds in the United States, according to federal data. Kennedy has promised since spring that the government would soon identify the root causes of what he has repeatedly described as an “autism epidemic.”

At an April cabinet meeting with President Trump, Kennedy boldly declared: “By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic.” Scientists scoffed at the timeline, warning that rigorous studies take years, if not decades, to produce reliable conclusions. Kennedy’s advisers later softened his claim, telling reporters that the administration would launch a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) research initiative rather than deliver definitive answers.

Yet, as The Wall Street Journal reported, the HHS draft leans toward identifying a pair of “potential contributors” — acetaminophen use during pregnancy and folate deficiency — as plausible factors. The report’s tone is described as cautious, acknowledging what is known, what remains speculative, and where research gaps persist.

An HHS spokesman told reporters: “We are using gold-standard science to get to the bottom of America’s unprecedented rise in autism rates. Until we release the final report, any claims about its contents are nothing more than speculation.”

The report’s suggestion of a possible link between acetaminophen and autism carries especially profound implications. Tylenol, produced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare (a division of Kenvue), is among the most widely used over-the-counter medications in the world. For decades, doctors have recommended it to pregnant women as a safe alternative to ibuprofen and aspirin, which can cause complications in pregnancy.

Some studies have hinted at risks. A 2021 consensus statement signed by 91 scientists argued that acetaminophen posed potential dangers to fetal development. But large-scale research has often found no correlation. In 2024, for instance, a Swedish study involving more than 2.4 million children concluded there was no link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism or ADHD.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continues to recommend acetaminophen as safe for use in pregnancy, though it advises that women consult with physicians before taking any medication. As Dr. Christopher Zahn, ACOG’s chief of clinical practice, told The Wall Street Journal: “Failing to treat medical conditions that warrant the use of acetaminophen is, at present, understood to be far more dangerous than theoretical concerns based on inconclusive reviews of conflicting science.”

Nonetheless, Wall Street reacted sharply to the Journal’s coverage of Kennedy’s impending report. Kenvue shares plunged 9.3% on Friday following the story, erasing billions of dollars in market capitalization in a single trading session.

Kenvue, in a statement to The Wall Street Journal, defended its product. “Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. We have continuously evaluated the science and continue to believe there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.”

If Tylenol represents the report’s lightning rod, folate may represent its hope. Folate — vitamin B9 — is critical in fetal development, and women deficient in it are more likely to give birth to children with neural tube defects. Pregnant women are widely encouraged to take folic acid supplements, which are believed to lower the risk not only of spinal cord abnormalities but potentially autism as well.

The HHS report, according to the information provided in The Wall Street Journal, will highlight folinic acid, or leucovorin, as a promising treatment for children already diagnosed with autism. Leucovorin is chemically related to folate and is currently prescribed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Small clinical studies, involving only dozens of children, have suggested improvements in language acquisition and behavior among autistic children taking leucovorin.

Dr. Richard Frye, a pediatric neurologist who has conducted some of these studies, told the Journal he believes leucovorin could help alleviate symptoms in a subset of autistic patients with folate deficiencies. He has even petitioned the NIH to fund expanded research and is working on an FDA application for a new formulation.

Still, skepticism abounds. Lawrence Scahill, a professor of pediatrics at Emory University, told The Wall Street Journal: “It’s not a crazy idea, there is some science behind it. But there is currently no clear evidence that it is anything like a cure for autism.”

Beyond medicine, the report threatens to ignite a legal and political storm. Hundreds of lawsuits have already been filed linking acetaminophen to autism or ADHD. But in 2023, a federal judge ruled that the scientific evidence supporting those claims was unreliable. Kennedy’s report, while couched in cautious language, may provide fresh ammunition for plaintiffs’ attorneys seeking to revive litigation against pharmaceutical companies.

The political ramifications are no less explosive. Kennedy built his career as a crusader against vaccines, beginning with a since-retracted 2005 Rolling Stone article that alleged a link between immunizations and autism. Though decades of research have disproven such connections, Kennedy’s skepticism propelled him to prominence — and notoriety — among both vaccine opponents and mainstream scientists.

Allies such as Brian Hooker of Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy once led, have hinted that vaccines may resurface in the HHS report. Hooker said in a recent video: “I do believe he will bring up the Tylenol connection, but I also believe he will look at vaccines and vaccine components.”

Whether the final report touches on vaccines remains unclear. NIH officials drafting the document have insisted that its focus is on reviewing existing scientific literature, not reviving long-discredited claims. Still, as The Wall Street Journal noted, Kennedy’s personal history ensures that any mention of vaccines will ignite fierce backlash from public-health experts.

According to the information contained in The Wall Street Journal report, the NIH has taken the lead in drafting the autism report, with input from FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, CMS Director Dr. Mehmet Oz, and NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. This lineup of advisers underscores the administration’s desire to frame the report as a science-driven initiative rather than a politically motivated crusade.

Alongside the report, HHS is expected to announce major grant awards to academic researchers under the NIH’s autism data science initiative. These grants, worth tens of millions of dollars, will fund large-scale studies using machine learning and genetic analysis to identify autism risk factors and potential therapies.

Despite the initiative’s ambitious scope, many scientists caution that identifying definitive causes for autism remains elusive. Genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, and improved diagnostic criteria have all contributed to rising prevalence rates. Pinpointing a single cause, they argue, oversimplifies a complex condition.

The rise in autism diagnoses has transformed the condition into a major social and political flashpoint. Public-health organizations, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, emphasize that much of the increase can be explained by better diagnostic practices and expanded definitions of the autism spectrum. But among parents, advocacy groups, and politicians, demand persists for explanations — and solutions.

Kennedy’s approach appeals to that demand, offering the prospect of concrete culprits and potential treatments. Yet critics warn that rushing to embrace tenuous scientific connections risks spreading misinformation and undermining trust in public health.

The fallout from the Journal’s reporting illustrates how swiftly Kennedy’s pronouncements can move markets. The 9.3% drop in Kenvue shares after Friday’s story amounted to one of the company’s sharpest single-day declines since its spin-off from Johnson & Johnson. Analysts warned that if the HHS report casts doubt on acetaminophen’s safety, litigation exposure could balloon and consumer confidence could erode, even absent definitive scientific evidence.

Pharmaceutical stocks, already under pressure from regulatory scrutiny and rising generic competition, are particularly sensitive to safety controversies. The Wall Street Journal report noted that Kenvue’s sharp decline rippled across the consumer health sector, with investors bracing for further volatility once the report is formally released.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s impending autism report represents one of the most consequential moves of his tenure as Health Secretary. According to the report in The Wall Street Journal, the document will walk a fine line between reviewing contested scientific evidence and signaling new directions for federal research.

If it elevates acetaminophen and folate deficiency as plausible contributors, it could reshape medical guidance for pregnant women, spark renewed litigation, and shake investor confidence in a staple of American medicine cabinets. If it highlights leucovorin as a promising therapy, it could accelerate research into folate-related interventions, offering new hope for families living with autism.

Yet the report also risks reviving Kennedy’s most controversial legacy: his association with vaccine skepticism. Even if vaccines are not mentioned, his history ensures that the debate will swirl.

Ultimately, the report embodies the collision of science, politics, and commerce. Autism’s causes remain complex and elusive, but Kennedy’s promise of quick answers has placed him — and now the government he represents — at the center of an unprecedented storm. Whether the final product clarifies the science or further inflames controversy, one thing is certain: the release of the autism report will mark a pivotal moment for American public health, and as The Wall Street Journal report emphasized, its ripple effects will be felt far beyond the laboratory and into the marketplace, the courts, and the political arena.