Former President Donald Trump has once again fanned the flames of a contentious issue that has long roiled the autism research and treatment communities. Health professionals are sounding the alarm over his recent claims regarding paracetamol, or acetaminophen (known as Tylenol here in the States). The scientists reject his notion, saying there is no scientific evidence to support his claims. His comments at a recent Chattanooga rally have touched off an excellent debate. He even went as far as to call on pregnant women to avoid the pain reliever.
In his speech, Trump stated, “I want to say it like it is. Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. If you just can’t, I mean, fight like hell not to take it.” He’s hoping to find a link between the use of paracetamol in pregnancy and the risk of developing autism in children. His comments are a manifestation of this fear. This claim, however, flies in the face of years of research completed by public health professionals.
Dr. Danielle McMullen, president of the Australian Medical Association, shot back at Trump’s assertions. She highlighted that there is no proof of paracetamol as an autism cause. “What we can confidently say is that there is no data showing that paracetamol causes autism and that women should feel confident using paracetamol to manage pain or fever during pregnancy,” she stated.
Trump deepened the controversy when he began proposing other ways to treat various medical conditions, swiftly moving into the arena of unproven therapies. Picture blasting the body with a giant UV star, or at least some very intense light. Now paint that dynamic picture inside the body,” he said. These statements have been met with incredulity from physicians who support the use of proven, effective treatments backed by scientific evidence.
As a pediatric neurologist, Dr. Audrey Brumback, strongly condemned Trump’s attack on Tylenol. In doing so, she argued, turning our backs on these drugs does a disservice to the principle of personalized medicine. I would say we have pretty good evidence that acetaminophen is not causing autism. It’s certainly not the cause of autism. To do that kind of blanket statement really negates the individualized way that we are trained and should be practicing medicine,” she said.
The discussion surrounding autism is complex. Dr. Hannah Kirk, a developmental pediatrician, highlighted that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with multiple contributing factors but no single known cause. “We know that autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with no single known cause,” she noted. “There is general consensus that the increase in rates of autism is due to broader diagnostic criteria and heightened public awareness.”
Further, last month, Dr. Kirk took on the importance of folate in autism research. “We know that folate is really important for the development of the central nervous system,” she said. Friedlander warned that some recent studies suggest that people with autism are more likely to have difficulties in folate metabolism. The evidence is still not strong enough to recommend it as a treatment or therapy.
Trump’s comments have caused an understandable uproar among public health and advocates for people with autism. Critics warn that encouraging unwarranted conspiracy theories spreads fear and misinformation that can deter people from making informed public health choices.
