US President Donald Trump cannot correctly pronounce “acetaminophes”. At least not on the first attempt. Nevertheless, he feels qualified To tell the Americans that they could cause their children to cause autism if they take it during pregnancy.
No scientific basis
The explanation came at a joint press conference on Monday. Trump-Flanked by Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS director Dr. Mehmet OZ – said that “with immediate effect” the FDA will inform doctors that “taking acetamineophs”, better known as Tylenol, “can be associated with a greatly increased risk of autism during pregnancy”.
Trump said reporters that he gave vaccination advice from “common sense” and “my feeling”. Likewise, the new guideline to Tylenol does not seem to be based on science. There is no documented connection between acetaminophes-one of the most common and effective pain and fever-lowering worldwide-and autism spectrum disorders. The previous research situation is limited, contradictory and difficult to reproduce. But the president, who once suggested to combat Covid-19 with bleach, and Kennedy, a supporter of raw milk and skeptic academic research, are driving the dubious recommendation.
“Tylenol is not good,” said Trump, thus contradicting decades of data that show the security of the drug. “Don’t take a Tylenol. Fight like crazy not to take it,” he said, just advised to “get through” pregnant women, pain or fever.
Kennedy added that “clinical laboratory studies” had suggested a “potential connection between taking acetaminophes during pregnancy and negative neurological developments”.
Expert world reacts outraged
Autism researchers and obstetrics reacted horrified.
“Paracetamol does not cause autism, no ADHD and no learning disabilities,” says Dr. Monique Botha, extraordinary professor of social and developmental psychology at Durham University, opposite Rolling Stone. “I can say that with certainty.”
Botha, who has been researching autism spectrum disorders for years, adds that studies that suggested a correlation do not differentiate between genetics and family history: “As soon as you take this into account, every correlation disappears practical.” The FDA also wrote in its communication: “It is important to note that in many studies a connection between acetamine and neurological diseases has been described, but no causal relationship has been proven.”
Kennedy claims for decades that vaccines are responsible for increasing autism diagnoses – however, experts attribute this to increased attention and better diagnostics. In April he publicly promised that HHS would start a “massive test and research initiative” to find the causes of autism spectrum disorders. “By September we will know what the autism epidemic has caused and we will be able to remove these triggers,” he said at the time.
Autism is complex – not due to medication
Botha emphasizes that the causes have been researched for decades and are mainly in biological and genetic factors. “If I had to commit to an answer: it is mainly genetic and hereditary.”
According to Botha – the representation of autism is particularly problematic as “epidemic” – a dehumanism that is close to Eugenik. “Autistic people are often dehumanized anyway. This increasingly increases the pressure to justify why they exist. They deserve respect and adequate support.”
Instead, most of the research funds flow into the search for a supposed individual cause, instead of in concrete help for those affected and their families or in the public. It was only on Monday that the National Institute of Health announced a $ 50 million program for autism research.
Return to blame
Eric Garcia, journalist at the independent and author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the autism conversation, describes Kennedy’s approach as a “return to the guilt game”.
“Are it the vaccines? The mold? Tylenol? You are looking for a guilty. But that brings nothing.
Trump, on the other hand, fabulous, entire population groups without “pills” or vaccinations, have practically no autism cases. “Basically, the amish have no autism,” he said. There is also “the rumor” that Cuba has “practically no autism” because “they have no money for Tylenol”. (Both are wrong.)
Science contradicts closed
On Tuesday, the WHO made it clear that the previous data situation was “inconsistent” and did not allow any causal conclusions. The American College of Obstricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also confirmed that acetaminophes were still considered safe during pregnancy. A major study with 2.5 million births in Sweden (1995–2019) was not a causal connection.
“The claim that paracetamol causes autism in pregnancy is not only irresponsible, but also dangerous for patients who rely on this safe medication,” said Acog President Steven J. Fleischman. “Untreated pain or fever during pregnancy are far more dangerous for mother and child.”
Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol, clearly contradicted: “Independent, solid research clearly shows that paracetamol does not cause autism. We are deeply concerned about the risks and the confusion that such statements mean for expectant mothers.”
Dangerous mood
For experts like Botha, the government’s actions are frustrating: “It is demoralizing.” The cold with which Trump presented his wrong claims is even worse. During the same press conference, he sworn over Ozempic, which he calls “the fat drug” and that it was cheaper abroad. “But that’s nothing compared to autism,” he said.
At the end the president said: “We have a lot of stupid people in this country who are in charge here.”
With that, he was exceptionally right.