Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments linking circumcision and Tylenol (acetaminophen) to autism are scientifically baseless – a result of either deliberate misinformation, or reflective of the fact that he may be “totally unqualified for the job,” Jessica Grose argues in an op-ed published by the New York Times. She makes her case in response to Kennedy’s assertion that two studies show “children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism. It’s highly likely because they’ve been given Tylenol.”

Scientists who study autism don’t concur – noting that the two studies he seems to be talking about were small and observational – not to mention that they did not look at whether infants in the studies were even given acetaminophen after the procedure. Newer, better-designed research does not connect circumcision with short- or long-term psychological trouble. Kennedy’s statement that pregnant women who take acetaminophen are “irresponsible” is equally unfounded – there is no credible evidence that typical use of the medication during pregnancy causes autism.

Of course, Kennedy is head of our nation’s Department of Health and Human Services, so his comments have massive influence. Despite being repeatedly debunked by experts, his opinion holds weight among the public, particularly Republicans. A KFF poll found that after his comments linking Tylenol taken during pregnancy to autism, 77% of the public heard the claim. While the majority of respondents expressed some uncertainty about the Tylenol-autism link, most Republicans, including a majority of Republican women, said it was “probably” or “definitely true.” 

“It seems clear that what Kennedy says, no matter how distantly tethered to scientific consensus, is successful at driving the public health conversation,” Grose writes. “Even as his statements are debunked by the most experienced researchers and disbelieved by many Americans, every time he mentions a fringe, unproven theory, it gains a firmer foothold and a measure of undeserved legitimacy.”

It’s a frightening state of affairs, she notes: With no expertise and citing flimsy, often flat-out discredited evidence, Kennedy makes false claims about emotionally-charged topics, using pseudoscientific language, and cherry-picks weak studies to sow confusion and advance his harmful national health agenda. Worse yet, his tactics seem to be working, undermining science and exacerbating parental anxiety in the process. This time, as ever, Kennedy’s attack on circumcision has turned the issue from a nuanced personal parental choice into another flashpoint for misinformation, driving parental stress and guilt.

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