Trump assures that the US has discovered the "answer" to autism

It's " one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in the history of this country ," Donald Trump assured on Sunday, promising a two-part announcement related to autism this Monday. The first will be related to a possible association between acetaminophen (during pregnancy) and the risk of autism, and another may include an experimental therapy that could help autistic children.

At Charlie Kirk's funeral, Donald Trump was enigmatic when he announced a "phenomenal discovery": "We may have an answer for autism," he asserted. What exactly is at stake? Official sources cited by The Washington Post anticipate that U.S. health authorities will recommend caution when using acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy, especially in the first few months.

The drug, which is widely used worldwide under various brand names, including generics, is considered safe by medical societies, but recent studies from Harvard and Mount Sinai point to a possible link between its use by pregnant women early in pregnancy and a higher risk of autism in children. US authorities should therefore advise pregnant women to avoid the drug except in cases of fever.

On the other hand, the White House is also expected to mention the use of leucovorin as a possible therapeutic for autistic children (The Washington Post does not mention its potential use in adults). This drug has been used primarily to treat vitamin B9 deficiency or reduce the side effects of certain medications. However, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated remarkable improvements in children with autism, particularly in their ability to speak and understand.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the newspaper, is still evaluating how this scientific discovery could be presented in the way the drug could be marketed.

From the beginning of his term, Trump has made increasing autism diagnosis rates—now one in 31 eight-year-olds, up from one in 150 in 2000—a political priority. Autism is a medical condition that some experts consider predominantly genetic and therefore essentially incurable.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other senior officials have been pushing for swift responses, but scientists warn that the process requires time and rigor. The involvement of controversial figures like David Geier, who advocates for links between vaccines and autism despite decades of studies refuting this hypothesis, is generating concern in the medical community. And pharmaceutical companies, including the maker of Tylenol (the most widely used brand of acetaminophen in the US), have also expressed reservations about the direction of the investigations.

The White House presentation coincides with the launch of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research program that will fund 13 teams dedicated to the causes and therapies of autism. While this effort is independent, it also aims to confirm previous findings and strengthen the scientific basis of the discussion.