Trump and the announcement on autism: "He will discuss a link with paracetamol use during pregnancy."

The Trump administration may announce new efforts to clarify the link between a drug containing one of the world's most widely used active ingredients— acetaminophen—and autism . And conversely, it may promote another drug as a potential treatment for the disease . This is what the Washington Post anticipates, based on reports from four people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement is not yet public. Specifically, the sources explain, federal health officials are expected to raise concerns about pregnant women's use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol*, having reviewed previous research, including an August review by researchers at Mount Sinai and Harvard, suggesting a possible link between Tylenol use in early pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children. The idea would be to warn pregnant women against using it in the first few months of pregnancy unless they have a fever.

The other autism chapter concerns officials' intention to promote as a potential treatment a lesser-known drug, leucovorin (derived from folic acid), commonly prescribed to counteract the side effects of certain medications and to treat vitamin B9 deficiency. Initial double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials administering leucovorin to children with autism showed what some scientists described as significant improvements in their ability to speak and understand others . FDA officials recently examined the language that could be applied to the drug. The findings on leucovorin have caused a stir in the scientific community, sparking renewed debate about the complex causes of autism, a condition that some experts had recently considered predominantly genetic and therefore largely incurable.

Trump's concern

Autism is at the forefront of US President Donald Trump's mind, who has long expressed concern about the rising rates of the condition in the United States and this year has tasked his team with finding answers, the newspaper USA reports. The initiative has involved Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, and other senior officials. Speaking Sunday at the memorial service for slain activist Charlie Kirk, Trump previewed the move, which is expected to be revealed at a White House press conference. "Tomorrow we will have one of the most important medical announcements, I think, in the history of our country . I think you will find it extraordinary. I believe we have found an answer to autism," he said.

The study

The NIH will also announce the launch of its new autism data science initiative, with 13 teams receiving grants to research the causes and treatment of autism, as well as to corroborate previous studies. This initiative is separate from a larger NIH report investigating autism research, which is not scheduled for publication this week. Bhattacharya told colleagues he wants the review to be thorough, with input from career officials, and not rushed into the other upcoming announcement.

Upcoming initiatives

On Sunday, the White House announced its upcoming initiatives on autism: "President Trump," spokesman Kush Desai concluded in a statement, "has committed to addressing the rising rate of autism in America and to doing so with sound science. This announcement will represent historic progress on both commitments."