Unsubstantiated Theory Emerges at White House Meeting
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked controversy by claiming during a White House Cabinet meeting that circumcision followed by Tylenol use may double autism rates in boys. The environmental activist and prominent vaccine skeptic expanded his long-standing but unproven theory about acetaminophen’s connection to autism by introducing a new element: routine infant circumcision.
“There are two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” Kennedy asserted during Thursday’s meeting. “It’s highly likely because they are given Tylenol.”
Questionable Research Basis for Claims
Kennedy appeared to reference two specific studies while making his claims, though he didn’t directly cite them. The first, a 2013 ecological study published in the Journal of Translational Science, examined autism rates, acetaminophen use, and circumcision patterns across multiple countries. While the authors noted correlations, they explicitly cautioned that their findings “cannot provide strong evidence of causality” and emphasized the limitations of their ecological approach.
The second study Kennedy likely referenced, a 2015 Danish cohort study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, found that boys circumcised before age five had approximately double the autism diagnosis rate. However, the researchers specifically noted they couldn’t examine Tylenol use patterns and suggested early life stress from the procedure itself—not pain medication—as a potential mechanism.
Scientific Community Pushes Back
Kennedy’s interpretation of these studies has drawn sharp criticism from medical experts and researchers. Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, states that “current evidence does not support a link between acetaminophen use and autism risk.” The organization emphasizes that multiple large-scale studies have failed to find such connections when properly controlling for confounding factors.
The 2015 Danish study Kennedy referenced faced particularly strong scrutiny upon publication. In a critical editorial published in the same journal, independent researchers highlighted multiple methodological flaws, noting that many common childhood medical procedures cause similar or greater pain than circumcision without being linked to autism.
Pattern of Controversial Health Claims
This latest assertion continues Kennedy’s history of promoting controversial health theories that diverge from scientific consensus. His organization, Children’s Health Defense, has repeatedly advanced the acetaminophen-autism theory despite multiple large studies finding no such connection when properly accounting for indications for medication use.
Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain there is no credible evidence linking either circumcision or acetaminophen use to autism development. They emphasize that autism spectrum disorder is primarily influenced by genetic factors and likely involves complex interactions between genes and environmental influences that remain under active investigation.
What remains clear is that Kennedy’s latest claims represent a significant departure from established scientific understanding and have been met with skepticism by the medical research community.