A senior U.S. official announced on Tuesday that the United States will not publish results of a study identifying the causes of autism by September, correcting a statement made two weeks prior by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
The Secretary had stated on April 10 that health authorities were conducting a study that would be published “by September” to determine the causes of what he referred to as an “autism epidemic.”
However, Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institute of Health, clarified during a press conference that the Secretary was referring to the timeline for launching a new research initiative, not for publishing results, adding that preliminary findings may be published “within a year… we will see.”
Kennedy made his statement during a government meeting at the White House, attended by President Donald Trump, saying, “We have launched a research project that will involve hundreds of scientists from around the world. By September, we will know the cause of the autism epidemic. We will be able to eliminate those factors.”
Trump was quick to welcome the announcement, stating that “there is something causing autism,” and listing possibilities himself, such as “stopping the intake of something, or eating certain foods, or perhaps a vaccine.”
He pointed to the “terrifying rise in reported cases in recent years,” viewing autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Both Trump and Kennedy, known for their skepticism regarding vaccine efficacy, have previously linked the mandatory MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) to autism, a hypothesis based on a fraudulent study that subsequent scientific research has debunked. Nevertheless, Kennedy ordered a new investigation in March.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the autism prevalence rate has increased from one in every 150 children born in 1992 to one in every 36 children in 2012.
While no single definitive cause has been identified, medical professionals suggest that environmental factors, such as neuroinflammation or the intake of certain medications during pregnancy like Depakote, along with genetic predisposition, may play a role.
