Medical professionals detail acetaminophen and autism misinformation
Policy hearing details dangers, political action of medical misinformation
Allegheny County Delegation September 30, 2025 | 11:52 AM
HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – At a House Majority Policy Committee hearing in the Capitol Complex today, medical professionals detailed the danger and fallout of misinformation created when the White House announced the supposed link between acetaminophen and autism.
“All this misinformation coming from the White House and federal government has done real damage,” said Rep. Abigail Salisbury, who hosted the hearing, serves as the chair of the Pennsylvania Autism Caucus and is autistic. “We heard directly from medical professionals, who explained how resources and their time is being dominated by combatting this misinformation – instead of devoting their time to research or dealing with the real-life concerns of their patients.”
A recording of the hearing livestream can be found here.
President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference last Monday claiming a link between Tylenol – or its generic name of acetaminophen – consumption during pregnancy and autism. The federal government’s wide-ranging statements on autism have been debunked and refuted by multiple organizations and medical professionals.
“There is not an explosion of autistic people happening right now … there is an explosion of understanding,” said Dr. Reuben Brock, who is a professor of psychology at Pennsylvania Western University California and has been diagnosed with autism. He was addressing the claim that there are more autistic people than previously diagnosed.
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, from the New England Complex Systems Institute, detailed how not treating a fever in expecting mothers can result in birth defects and miscarriage, and unlike Aspirin and ibuprofen – acetaminophen can be used by expecting mothers.
“Unfortunately, the people who know the least about this issue are talking the most and having their voice amplified to the greatest audience,” said Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, who is the chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee and represents portions of Erie County. “We wanted to hear the truth, so we went directly to experts that detailed the mistakes and bad science being promoted out of Washington, D.C.”
Feigl-Ding also highlighted the gold standard for research published in JAMA on pregnancy, autism and acetaminophen. The study included 2.5 million people in Sweden, and it did not find a link between acetaminophen use by expecting mothers and autism.
“I don’t know if it is the intent of this misinformation, but it clearly serves a political purpose in that the more time and resources we spend on issues related to whether acetaminophen or vaccines cause autism … is attention we are taking away from the real issues that affect autistic people and their families,” said Dr. David Mandell from the University of Pennsylvania. “It makes it seem like our government is doing something important, when at the same time they are slashing services and support for autistic people.”
Tuesday’s House Majority Policy hearing featured testimony from Dr. David Mandell, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Dr. Reuben Brock, professor of psychology at Pennsylvania Western University California; Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, chief epidemiologist and chair of the Department of Public Health at New England Complex Systems Institute. Submitted testimony can be found here.
Information about this hearing and other House Majority Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy. Photos to be used for publication can be found on the day of the hearing at Facebook.com/PADemPolicy.