Australian Health Minister Mark Butler has requested urgent advice from local health authorities regarding studies that suggest a potential link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism. This request follows comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who indicated a forthcoming announcement that could significantly impact autism research.

During a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump stated, "Tomorrow we’re going to have one of the biggest announcements, medically, in the history of our country ... I think we found an answer to autism." White House spokesman Kush Desai confirmed that the administration aims to address the rising autism rates in America with scientifically backed solutions.

Reports indicate that U.S. officials may advise pregnant women against using paracetamol, a widely used pain reliever known as Tylenol in the U.S. and Panadol in Australia, unless they are experiencing a fever. Additionally, the administration is expected to discuss the potential use of leucovorin, a drug typically used in cancer treatment, as a possible autism therapy.

Butler emphasized the importance of consulting medical professionals before making any decisions based on media reports. "We would caution anyone, any pregnant woman, [against] taking action in response to media reports like this without taking some medical advice first," he said at a press conference in Canberra. He noted that the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia collaborates closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and aims to provide timely guidance for pregnant women.

The discussions in the U.S. are partly based on a recent study from Mount Sinai and Harvard University, which suggested a possible association between early pregnancy paracetamol use and an increased risk of autism. However, Australian researchers have pointed out that no definitive causal relationship has been established.

"Evidence is mixed," said Associate Professor Kevin Yap from La Trobe University. "A recent review in the U.S. has reported associations between prenatal paracetamol use and slightly higher rates of autism, but a large Swedish study using sibling comparisons found no effect when controlling for family factors."

Dr. Hannah Kirk, a senior lecturer at Monash University, echoed these sentiments, stating, "No study has shown that [paracetamol] causes autism. Some studies have reported an association between [paracetamol] use and autism, while others have not. Importantly, association does not mean causation."

Professor Andrew Whitehouse, who leads autism research at The Kids Research Institute Australia, added that autism is influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. He cautioned that any small associations should be weighed against the risks of untreated high fever during pregnancy.

Dr. Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz from the University of Wollongong noted that the existing studies on paracetamol use during pregnancy are insufficient to draw firm conclusions. He stated, "The largest study, from Sweden, quite strongly demonstrates that the risk is not that much of a concern."

The Swedish study, published in 2024, analyzed data from 2.48 million births and found no increased risk of autism associated with paracetamol use during pregnancy when controlling for genetic and environmental factors.

As autism diagnoses continue to rise globally, including in Australia, the urgency for accurate information and guidance remains critical. By 2020, the autism rate among eight-year-olds in the U.S. reached one in 36, a significant increase from previous years.