Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised the alarm earlier this year about the meteoric rise of reported autism cases in the United States, underscoring at a press conference, "We are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it."

"The [autism spectrum disorder] prevalence rate in 8-year-olds is now 1 in 31," said Kennedy, referring to a study that examined children born in 2014. The health secretary noted further that American boys face an "extreme risk" of ending up with autism, stating that they have a 1 in 20 chance of being diagnosed with the condition — or a 1 in 12.5 chance in California.

Kennedy promised President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting in April that "by September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures."

A study published this month in the peer-reviewed medical journal BMC Environmental Health could prove valuable to the Department of Health and Human Services' campaign to narrow down the possible causes of autism.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles' School of Public Health, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai systematically reviewed 46 "well-designed" studies incorporating data from over 100,000 participants regarding the relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and prenatal exposure to acetaminophen.

'The research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices.'

Acetaminophen, the drug sold under the brand Tylenol in the United States and Canada, is the most common over-the-counter pain and fever medication used during pregnancy and is reportedly used by well over 50% of pregnant women worldwide.

The researchers found that 27 of the studies reported "significant links" between acetaminophen exposure in the womb and NDDs and noted that "higher-quality studies were more likely to show positive associations."

"Overall, the majority of the studies reported positive associations of prenatal acetaminophen use with ADHD, ASD, or NDDs in offspring, with risk-of-bias and strength-of-evidence ratings informing the overall synthesis," said the study.

Photo by Jennifer Polixenni Brankin/Getty Images

When specifically evaluating the studies pertaining to Tylenol use and autism in children, the researchers found "strong evidence of a relationship between prenatal acetaminophen use and increased risk of ASD in children."

The drug freely crosses the placental barrier, "reaching levels in fetal circulation similar to maternal circulation within less than an hour of maternal ingestion."

According to the researchers, the drug:

"undergoes oxidative metabolism via the enzyme CYP2E1 — present in fetal brains, placenta, and lungs — to produce toxic metabolites";
"affects prostaglandin and endocannabinoid pathways, which are involved in prenatal neuronal development";
has been shown in animal models to increase "oxidative stress markers in the fetal brain and is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits"; and
"directly perturbs hormone-dependent processes, affects neurodevelopment and reproductive disorders, and might alter steroidogenesis in the placenta and induce placental damage."

Dr. Diddier Prada, an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in a release, "Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD."

"Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications," added Prada.

Mount Sinai noted that while the damning study "does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders," "the research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices."

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The medical community has long raised concern about the possible downsides of acetaminophen consumption during pregnancy.

An international coalition of public health experts said in a consensus statement published on Sept. 23, 2021, in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology that "increasing experimental and epidemiological research suggests that prenatal exposure to APAP [acetaminophen] might alter fetal development, which could increase the risks of some neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and urogenital disorders."

'This work is ongoing, and the department will follow the science wherever it leads.'

"Epidemiological studies consistently suggest prenatal APAP exposure might increase the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, language delay (in girls) and decreased intelligence quotient," said the experts. "Collectively, the studies suggest that the timing and duration of maternal APAP use are critical factors."

HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told Blaze News that HHS does not comment on outside studies. Hilliard noted, however, that "under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS is taking action guided by gold-standard, evidence-based science. This work is ongoing, and the department will follow the science wherever it leads."

Tylenol does not appear to be particularly pleased with the study.

A company spokesperson for Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, said in a statement to Blaze News, "Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. We continue to evaluate the science, and this study does not change our view that there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues."

"To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and leading medical organizations agree on the safety of acetaminophen, its use during pregnancy, and the information provided on the label," added the spokesperson.

A source close to Tylenol noted further that "it appears the study was designed for litigation and not public health, as two of the authors are experts for the plaintiffs in the acetaminophen litigation."

Harvard University's Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, one of the authors on the study, served as an expert witness on matters of general causation involving acetaminophen use during pregnancy in a multi-district litigation class-action lawsuit against Tylenol.

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IVF CEO says conceiving naturally is for those with 'genetic privilege'

The CEO of an in vitro fertilization company says sex is for fun and IVF is for conceiving babies.

Noor Siddiqui is the founder of Orchid, a company that screens embryos for those using IVF services and looks for possible genetic defects and disease.

Siddiqui recently equated the idea of using IVF screening to providing the maximum amount of love to a child, meaning that if parents choose not to use IVF, they are subjecting their offspring to untold risks.

'I didn't want to quote that to you because I thought it was so ridiculous, but go on.'

Siddiqui gave an interview to the New York Times podcast "Interesting Times with Ross Douthat," where the host saved his best question for last. After reciting a poem that describes the magic of a man and woman creating life, Douthat asked Siddiqui about the idea that she wants to take that magic away.

"You're imagining a future where that just goes away. And I'm wondering if you think anything would actually be lost if that goes away," Douthat asked.

In response, Siddiqui recalled her own quote: "Sex is for fun; Orchid and embryo screening is for babies."

Douthat immediately replied, "I didn't want to quote that to you because I thought it was so ridiculous, but go on."

The CEO claimed that because most sexual encounters do not result in a pregnancy, "it's actually not so strange of a concept" that IVF becomes the predominant way to conceive.

"But when you get a baby, most people get it from having sex," Douthat argued. "It is linked inextricably to having sex with your spouse. And you are saying it's time to sever that for the sake, I concede, of potential medical benefits."

While one might consider that Siddiqui is simply providing a service to those who cannot conceive naturally, the CEO made it clear that she believes those who do not use IVF are rolling the dice on their child's health.

"I think that if you have enormous genetic privilege and, for you to roll the dice and to get a outcome that isn't going to lead to disease is in the cards for you, then of course, go ahead and roll the dice," Siddiqui told the host.

The 29-year-old claimed "the vast majority of parents" will not want to "roll the dice," before stating that IVF screenings are actually the highest form of love a parent can give a child.

Parents are "going to see it as taking the maximum amount of care, the maximum amount of love, in the same way that they plan their nursery plan, their home plan, their preschool," she said.

Siddiqui then turned in vitro around on naturally conceiving parents and said it would be "denigrating and dismissive" to IVF parents to say that babies conceived through IVF are somehow "inferior to babies that are made the old-fashioned way."

BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey took a hard stance on the issue and said embryo screening is not a moral or ethical option.

"When technology takes us from what's natural to what's possible, we have the obligation to ask: But is it moral? Is it ethical? Is it biblical?" Stuckey told Blaze News. "The answer here is: no, no, and no. Embryos are human, and like all humans they have an inherent right to life."

Siddiqui said in a 2024 interview with Mercury that she has "always known" that she wanted to conceive through IVF, despite neither her nor her husband having any fertility issues.

In the interview, she argued it was actually "unethical" to stigmatize the embryo screenings and argued it is not "playing God" to get a cast for a broken leg or to have chemotherapy for cancer. Therefore, she is not interrupting "God's plan" with her services.

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FDA blasts 'politically motivated' criticism over review of SSRI health risks during pregnancy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is pushing back against criticism from medical establishmentarians over the agency's willingness to take a closer look at the health risks posed by antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, during pregnancy.

Various health organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, accused FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, his agency, and the participants in an expert panel discussion that Makary hosted last month of disseminating "inaccurate" information and of making "outlandish" claims.

'Adolescents exposed to SSRIs in utero exhibited higher anxiety and depression symptoms than unexposed adolescents.'

An FDA spokesperson defended the agency's discussions with experts on the topic, suggesting to Blaze News that the critiques of the agency's expert advisory process were "politically driven."

Dr. Jay Gingrich, professor of developmental psychology at the Columbia University Medical Center, noted during the July 21 panel discussion that while expectant mothers suffering depression have long been prescribed SSRIs, it was not until recently that any substantial research was undertaken to determine whether these drugs improved outcomes in the mothers' offspring.

JAMA Medical News confirmed that no randomized clinical trials have been undertaken, due partly to ethical concerns. Despite the absence of such trial data, 6%-8% of pregnant women are reportedly prescribed SSRIs in the United States.

After observing in rodent trials that the mice born of female mice exposed to SSRIs exhibited "stark changes in behavior" and "changes in the brain," Gingrich explored with Finnish researchers whether SSRI exposure in the womb was similarly consequential for human children and found that it was.

Farrukh Saeed/Getty Images

A study co-authored by Gingrich and published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications provided further confirmation of negative impacts, revealing that "adolescents exposed to SSRIs in utero exhibited higher anxiety and depression symptoms than unexposed adolescents and also had greater activation of the amygdala and other limbic structures when processing fearful faces."

The study concluded that "SSRIs are a common therapeutic strategy in perinatal maternal emotional disorders, however the present cross-species data and prior studies on single species indicate that we need more mechanistic understanding of how pharmacological factors like SSRIs impact early brain development and later result in maladaptive behaviors."

'The public needs better information, and the FDA must strengthen the warnings.'

Dr. Adam Urato, chief of maternal-fetal medicine at MetroWest Medical Center in Massachusetts, told his fellow panelists that he has observed in recent years women increasingly taking antidepressants during pregnancy, in many cases thinking SSRIs "don't affect the baby or cause complications."

"These drugs alter the mom’s brain. Why wouldn't they affect the baby’s?" said Urato. "We can see it on prenatal ultrasound. The ultrasound studies show SSRI-exposed fetuses have different movement and behavior patterns. After birth the newborn babies can have jitteriness, breathing difficulties, and higher rates of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit."

"The public needs better information, and the FDA must strengthen the warnings," Urato underscored. "For example, there's currently no warning regarding preterm birth or preeclampsia. The postpartum hemorrhage warning needs to be strengthened. But perhaps the major shortcoming is that the label doesn't make clear that SSRIs alter fetal brain development."

The concerns raised by Gingrich, Urato, and the other panelists evidently ruffled some feathers at organizations that champion the use of SSRIs during pregnancy.

Steven Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, rushed to complain, stating shortly after the conclusion of the panel discussion that it "was alarmingly unbalanced and did not adequately acknowledge the harms of untreated perinatal mood disorders in pregnancy," adding, "Robust evidence has shown that SSRIs are safe in pregnancy and that most do not increase the risk of birth defects.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' current practice guidelines reportedly recommend SSRIs as a first-line pharmacotherapy for mothers between the time of conception and up until a year after the baby's birth.

Fleischman told JAMA Medical News last week that the panel may "incite fear and cause patients to come to false conclusions that could prevent them from getting the treatment they need."

'Commissioner Makary has an interest in ensuring policies reflect the latest gold-standard science and protect public health.'

Marketa Wills, CEO of the American Psychiatric Association, echoed Fleischman in a July 25 letter to Makary, stating, "We are alarmed and concerned by the misinterpretations and unbalanced viewpoints shared by several of the panelists."

"The inaccurate interpretation of data, and the use of opinion, rather than the years of research on antidepressant medications, will exacerbate stigma and deter pregnant individuals from seeking necessary care," wrote Wills.

In addition to stating that "the overall evidence suggests that individuals can and should take SSRIs prior to or during pregnancy, when they are clinically indicated for treatment," Wills claimed that "recent meta-analyses have found no association between prenatal SSRI exposure and overall risk of birth defects."

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine similarly complained, suggesting that the panelists made "unsubstantiated and inaccurate claims."

Dobrila Vignjevic/Getty Images stock photo

Other groups similarly outraged by the discussion of possible downsides to drugs characterized as safe and effective include Postpartum Support International, the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry , and the Massachusetts General Hospital for Women's Mental Health.

An FDA spokesperson told Blaze News, "The claim that the FDA’s expert advisory process is 'one-sided' or politically driven is insulting to the independent scientists, clinicians, and researchers who dedicate their expertise to these panels."

"FDA expert panels are roundtable discussions with independent panels of scientific experts that will review the latest scientific evidence, evaluate potential health risks, explore safer alternatives, and individual experts may offer their recommendations for regulatory action," continued the spokesperson. "This initiative is part of the FDA’s broader efforts to apply rigorous, evidence-based standards to ingredient safety and modernize regulatory oversight, thoroughly considering evolving science and consumer health."

The spokesperson noted that "Commissioner Makary has an interest in ensuring policies reflect the latest gold-standard science and protect public health" and stated that suggesting "his engagement on women’s health signals a desire to manipulate outcomes is politically motivated and undermines the serious work being done to improve care for millions of women."

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Mandating IVF Coverage Will Exploit Vulnerable Women

A startup called Cofertility is taking a coercive approach toward women interested in preserving their future fertility through egg freezing.

Hailey Bieber’s Vogue Cover Story Confirms Motherhood Changes Women For The Better

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-9.53.28 AM-e1747925700264-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-9.53.28%5Cu202fAM-e1747925700264-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Bieber quickly discovered that motherhood changes women. The good news is, that change is almost always for the better.

No, Being Raised By A ‘Group Of Pals’ Isn’t Better Than Having A Mom And Dad

One doesn't need a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to know that children need a mother and a father, not an artificial womb and a group of drinking buddies.

Marijuana can stunt or even kill babies in the womb: Study

A systematic review published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics concluded with moderate confidence on the basis of 51 studies with over 21.1 million participants that cannabis use during pregnancy can result in early births, low birth weights, and unusually small babies. The review also indicated significantly increased odds of miscarriages.

The study's authors, all but one of whom are based out of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, noted at the outset that the self-reported use of medical and nonmedical marijuana among pregnant women in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past two decades and continues to increase, despite warnings from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology.

According to the ACOG's Committee on Obstetric Practice, "self-reported prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy ranges from 2% to 5% in most studies but increases to 15–28% among young, urban, socioeconomically disadvantaged women."

The OHSU researchers behind the new study noted further that marijuana is now reportedly the most commonly used federally illicit drug in pregnancy.

"This is cause for concern," wrote the researchers, because the main psychoactive component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol, can cross the placenta and bind to endocannabinoid receptors on preborn babies' major organs.

The existing scientific literature already associates maternal marijuana use with numerous dire consequences, including stillbirth and fetal growth restriction as well as impaired cognition, decreased attention span, behavioral problems, and compromised visual-motor coordination in prenatally exposed children.

The researchers noted, however, that "clinicians are not consistently counseling patients regarding prenatal cannabis use, partly because of the limited and mixed available evidence."

'Ideally, it's best not to be exposed to THC.'

"Patients are coming to me in their prenatal visits saying, 'I quit smoking and drinking, but is it safe to still use cannabis?'" said lead author Jamie Lo, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "Until direct harms have been proven, they perceive it to be safe to use."

"As the prevalence of prenatal cannabis use is rising, there is an urgent need for evidence-driven recommendations on the safety of use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding," Lo said in March.

Keen to furnish clinicians with a better understanding of the associated risks so that they can confidently counsel mothers regarding prenatal cannabis use, the researchers analyzed 51 observational studies including eight new studies, and raised the certainty of evidence for various potential adverse effects.

The researchers found that prenatal cannabis was linked to a 52% higher risk of premature birth and a 75% higher risk of low birth weight. They also found a 29% higher risk of infant death associated with the use of cannabis during pregnancy.

OHSU researchers revealed in another study recently published in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology that a mother's use of cannabis while pregnant could adversely impact her baby's lung development and function, potentially resulting in asthma and other chronic respiratory health conditions.

In addition to jeopardizing the health of babies, marijuana has also been linked to various medical problems in adults, including cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cannabis use can lead to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and other vascular diseases; can harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels; and has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses.

Lo told CNN, "Ideally, it's best not to be exposed to THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, no matter what form you're using."

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