Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested that there may be a connection between autism and circumcision until By re -confirming the unproven theory This tylenol causes a disorder – and medical experts push against claims.
“There are two studies showing that children who are trimmed early are twice as large as autism. It is very likely that they are given Tylenol,” said Kennedy Thursday’s office meeting.
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that removes the foreskin from the boy’s penis. For some, circumcision is part of cultural or religious practice. 2025 A study by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that the prevalence of practice decreased by almost 5% from 2012 to 2022. – 54.1% to 49.3%.
Kennedy did not specify the research he talked about about his comments, but experts say the potential equivalents in 2013. Investigation from eight countries and 2015 A study from Denmark in which both offered a connection between circumcision and autism – have problems.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the second on the left, speaks at the Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, USA, USA, 2025. Thursday, October 9th.
2013 The study deals with the percentage of the percentage of cessation of boys and autism. The authors acknowledged that national and state average could show correlation rather than a cause, and said their investigation could have mistakes, bias and misleading. “The practice of circumcision is also about culture and religion, which also affects the diagnosis of autism and the use of health care,” said Dr. Céline Gunder, CBS News Medical Fellow and KFF Health News Public Health Editor.
The unconscious, which occurs when the relationship between the exposition and the result is distorted by the third variable presence, is “in most of what the RFK JR quotes and argues,” said Gounder.
For example, early studies linked a coffee drink to a higher risk of heart disease, but smoking (popular among coffee drinkers) was a real driver, not coffee. People eat more ice cream and go to swim more in the summer. Swimming, not eating ice cream, can lead to drowning, but a poorly designed investigation can conclude that the culprit was ice cream.
2015 The investigation found that the risk of autism was higher among circumcision boys under 5 years, but after 5 years the association disappeared. “If the circumcision really caused autism,” said Gounder, “this association should continue after 5 years. They are likely to choose the fact that children who are circumcised have more contact with the health care system and have parents with a higher level of education and income – all that are associated with the diagnosis of autism.
On Friday’s social media record, Kennedy said he had in mind 2025. August Preprints.org Patel, etc., which he says “directly confirms my idea that the observation of autism correlation to the boys is best explained by the acetaminophen exposition rather than circumcision.”
He said in the document in 2015. The Danish circumcision is identified as “the most convincing” autonomous “evidence that acetaminophene causes autism in sensitive infants and children.
In response to Kennedy’s record, some experts pointed out the weaknesses of his quote. For example, Jeffrey S. Morris, a professor of public health and preventive medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has shared that this document is a “clearly biased review of the narrative” rather than a primary study.
“This pre-imprint has major problems because it is not reviewed by the reviewer, does not clearly explain how the research has been chosen or analyzed, so it is not transparent or restored, so a biased, subjective approach used instead of standard scientific methods,” said Gounder. “They also do not take into account the fact that they quote research.”
It also has a financial conflict of interest because it was partly funded by the victims’ WPPAB, INC.-a non-profit group led by William Parker, which promotes the connection between the effects of early life acetaminophen and autism.
Other experts also withdrew from Kennedy claims.
“The conclusion of any reliable medical sources agrees that there is no causal link between silenol, circumcision or autism vaccines,” dr. Steven Abelowitz, founder and medical director of Ocean Pediatrics.
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient of tilenol and many cold and flu medication – is the basis of circumcision theory, experts say, as well as does not create time. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under 12 weeks should not be given acetaminophene, unless their pediatrician stated, and most circumcision occur until then with local anesthesia.
Although circumcision can occur at any age, most occur in the first week after birth and usually within the first 48 hours, the Cleveland Clinic reports.
“We almost never, we’ve never used Tylenol after circumcision,” said Abelowitz, adding that he had done about 10,000 circumcision in 30 years.
Kennedy’s comment even received international attention when the United Kingdom National Autistic Society shared a statement.
“More dangerous US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, who now associates autism with circumcision. It is not based on any form of strict, strong research and can be a life-threatening,” says Mel Merritt, the head of the organization’s politics and campaign.
Last month, President Trump announced that the Food and Drug Administration believes that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy may be associated with increased risk of autism without sharing new evidence. However, medical experts said medicines were safe.
After the administration report, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists dr. Steven J. Fleischman said in a statement: “Offers that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism is not only very related to clinicians, but does not respond to the fact that they send pregnant patients during pregnancy, including those who may need this help during pregnancy.”
Kenvue, a Tylenol manufacturer, earlier said CBS News that “independent, reliable science makes it clear that the use of acetaminophen does not cause autism.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with the involvement of Kennedy’s message.
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