Without evidence, President Donald Trump has claimed that a common pain relief medication taken by women during pregnancy causes autism in their babies.
He said the FDA will immediately start notifying doctors that the use of Tylenol (known as paracetamol in Australia and across the world) “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
“So taking Tylenol is not good.”
Trump made the claims and has ordered the recommendation to doctors despite a lack of evidence regarding a link between Tylenol and autism.
He acknowledged that “maybe” in the case of a really high fever, a pregnant woman should consider using it.
“But if you feel like you can tough it out, then do it”
Trump issued the comments during an hour-long press conference alongside his health chief, Robert F. Kennedy.
In response, health organisations in the United States and globally have come to reassure pregnant women about the lack of evidence linking paracetamol use to autism, and that their own health advice has not changed.
President of the Australian Medical Association Danielle McMullen said in response to the announcement, there are no studies showing that paracetamol use in pregnancy causes autism. She said there have been some studies showing an association between paracetamol use and autism, but there have been “really large studies” showing that there’s no association. “And it’s important to remember that association doesn’t mean cause.”
“It could be that there’s a whole range of things that happened during pregnancies, and one of those was that the pregnant mother took paracetamol, but it also could be that she had a fever or there were genetic factors,” she told ABC Radio National this morning.
“In fact, in autism, it’s most likely that autism is linked with genetic factors as its primary driver, but we really don’t know the full cause of autism.”
Dr McMullen told Women’s Agenda that the bulk of medical groups globally today are saying that Trump’s comments do not change the medical advice that is being given on paracetamol use, which is that paracetamol has been shown to be safe for use in pregnancy.
“Like all medicines, we try to reduce how much medication is taken in pregnancy. So of course, parents aren’t out there taking paracetamol for no reason at all. But we do know that fevers and pain can be dangerous in pregnancy. So if you’ve got a fever or symptoms that need treating, then certainly Paracetamol is our safest option and is still recommended for use in pregnancy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has responded by saying Trump’s statements are “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence” and his guidance about the common pain reliever is “irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients.”
The College described the announcement as “dangerously” simplifying the “many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.”
In response to the College, Trump said they are “funded by lots of different groups” and that “maybe they’re right”.
“But here’s the thing, there’s no downside to doing this.”
There is definitely a downside to pregnant women experiencing pain and fevers that can be eased through a common and much-studied medicine.
Indeed, as noted by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, fever that goes untreated during pregnancy carries significant risks to mothers and their babies, including risk of birth defects and miscarriage.
There is also danger in the langage Trump used during his press conference, and in suggestions women’s choices regarding pain and fever relief during pregnancy is linked to autism.
As Dr McMullen said, these messages carry an additional load for those who are currently pregnant, as well as parents of autistic children.
“The last thing that pregnant women and their families need is more reasons to feel scared or guilty or nervous,” she said.
“It’s really important to say that we don’t know what causes autism and certainly the weight of evidence in the scientific literature would say that there’s not study that proves paracetomol use in pregnancy causes autism. Then we get into this discussion about, well, what do we mean by association or temrs that I don’t like, like the word ‘link’.”
Trump told Monday’s press conference that he had “been waiting for this meeting for 20 years,” noting how he and Robert F. Kennedy had bonded over a shared concern about autism while he was developing property in New York City.