You’ll not get the true facts about this from our President, whom, if you remember, also once suggested that injected disinfectant, like bleach, might kill the COVID virus. However, people being people, Poison Control Centers from around the country did get hundreds of calls from COVID patients who, listening to an authority figure, used a variety of substances to attempt to kill the virus. Gargling Lysol was a favorite.
The President, and his very misinformed Secretary of Health, badly garbled the actual facts about autism and have now created a landscape of frank distrust between patients and healthcare providers.
Kennedy is basically saying, “There is an epidemic of autism. We will find the cause and the cure.”
Trump is saying: “One of the causes is Tylenol. If you’re pregnant, don’t take Tylenol!”
In actual fact:
- There appear to be more children with autism because doctors are better trained to diagnose it. This is very important to realize as Kennedy is implying autism is caused by environmental factors (vaccines, drugs, food additives). Decades of research has disproven this.
- The following factors have been linked to autism: genetics; parental age; premature birth; prenatal exposure to drugs; environmental chemicals; infections. Most likely a combination of environment plus genetics is the key ‘villain’ for autism.
- Tylenol got involved with autism in the 1990’s when there was a realization that older women, with more aches and pains, were taking more Tylenol and also had more children with autism. In Sweden, from 1995 to 2019, reviewing the health records of 2.4 million children, this association was not found. When older mothers (higher risk) took Tylenol (suspect drug), there might be one child with autism, but there was no increase in autism among that child’s siblings. Therefore Tylenol was “not guilty”.
- Tylenol is the safest medication to reduce fever. An untreated fever can be very dangerous during pregnancy significantly increasing risks of miscarriage, birth defects (especially heart and facial defects) and premature birth. The danger is highest during the first trimester.
- Tylenol is the safest medication to use for pain during pregnancy. Untreated pain during pregnancy can lead to complications including depression, anxiety and high blood pressure as well as negative effects on the fetus. Chronic untreated pain can lead to a decline in quality of life, inability to perform daily tasks, impair sleep and lead to postpartum depression. Other pain meds, like opioids and NSAIDs (Advil) are either contraindicated or advised for short term use only.
So, what’s the damage from President Trump’s outburst, “Fight like Hell not to take Tylenol.”
Well, you may have noticed he’s quite influential all over the world, with this rant he has engendered a significant public distrust of science and physicians. He (or Kennedy) has ordered the FDA to change the label on Tylenol to warn of a “possible association” between taking the drug and autism although this is definitely not the case. The FDA does admit that Tylenol is the only drug approved for fever and pain during pregnancy, two situations that can cause harm to a baby.
This is a dreadful position for parents.
Be well, I hope.
David Edelberg, MD