In a rambling press conference on Sept. 22, President Donald Trump claimed that acetaminophen use in pregnancy is driving the rise in autism—and then ad libbed his own guidance on childhood vaccines. Watching the President deliver what is widely considered by leading professional organizations as inaccurate and dangerous medical advice gave me painful flashbacks to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was working on the frontlines as an emergency physician in New York City. By the time the press conference ended, people on social media were already comparing it to Trump’s infamous suggestion in April 2020 that injecting disinfectant might treat COVID.
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00:00President Trump claimed that Tylenol is directly linked to increasing rates of autism.
00:05So taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it. It's not good.
00:12The problem is that he nor anyone in his administration offer any new evidence.
00:16The administration is relying on a recent review that suggested an association but went out of their way to say that they cannot prove a causation between Tylenol and autism.
00:35If you're pregnant, don't take Tylenol. Fight like hell not to take it.
00:39That's just bad guidance. We know that having a fever during pregnancy can be damaging and potentially harmful not only for their mother but also for the developing fetus.
00:48Here's what we actually know about the link between acetaminophen and autism.
00:52There have been some studies that show a weak association between the drug and autism.
00:57There are others that have failed to show such an association, particularly after controlling for genetic and other factors.
01:05And some studies have actually shown that failure to take Tylenol during pregnancy for a fever can actually increase the risk of autism.
01:14Right now, if you have questions about acetaminophen and autism, you should talk to your doctor or trust reputable organizations and agencies.
01:23What we need right now is less medical opinion from the president behind the dais of the Oval Office
01:28in more solid research into what causes autism.
01:32Unfortunately, I feel like what happened this week makes it less likely.
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