After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a common chemotherapy drug as a way to alleviate symptoms of autism, a local pediatrician said it likely isn’t a catch-all solution.
On the heels of an announcement from President Donald Trump on Monday, the FDA updated the suggested uses of leucovorin, a drug used to counteract the side effects of certain chemotherapy treatments, to label it as a form of autism treatment.
While leucovorin, a form of folinic acid — a B vitamin — has shown some promise in clinical trials with helping a small subset of children with autism improve their speech, studies show it is not a universal treatment, Dr. Erica Peterson, a Lincoln-based pediatrician, told the Journal Star.
“As a broad treatment, that’s not typically something we use because we don’t have the evidence that it helps most patients,” she said. “Unless you’ve shown to have that particular need for that medicine, there’s no evidence that the general population with autism spectrum disorder would benefit from that right now.”
Trump, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also said Monday the FDA will begin advising against the use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — during pregnancy because it “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
Various experts have pushed back on the decision, claiming past research has not shown a conclusive connection between acetaminophen and autism diagnoses, including the manufacturer of Tylenol, Kenvue.
Kenvue said in a statement that “sound science” shows no connection between acetaminophen and the developmental disorder, the Associated Press reported.
Peterson, a provider at Lincoln’s Bluestem Health, 1021 N. 27th St., agreed, saying there is no conclusive evidence acetaminophen is linked to autism. While some studies have suggested Tylenol could potentially cause autism when taken while pregnant, many have shown no clear connection.
By not acknowledging all research studies, the announcement could cause panic for families and increase distrust in public officials, Peterson said.
“Cherry-picking studies to support a conclusion that you have without systematically looking at things, I think it makes people less likely to trust what public officials and experts are saying,” she said. “And I think that’s sad. Parents really just need the best information to do what’s best for their family.”
Peterson also worried the claim acetaminophen causes autism will cause unnecessary guilt and concern for parents with children with autism and take away a pain management source for pregnant women.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has long recommended acetaminophen as a safe pain reliever during pregnancy, according to the AP.
“As a pediatrician, as a parent and as a mom, it made me really sad to see how that was presented (Monday), because I think it’s just one more way to place substantiated guilt on parents who have children with autism spectrum disorder,” Peterson said.
Peterson said she believes the announcement shows they’re looking for an easy solution to autism causes and treatments, when it’s likely much more complex than that. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan, she said.
“People are looking for a very simple answer to what causes autism and a very simple answer for treatment. And it turns out, we suspect, it’s a very complicated issue with all these different facets,” she said.
Cathy Martinez, the president of the Autism Family Network in Nebraska, said she was happy the government was taking the time to look into a recent rise in autism in the country.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates 1 in 31 children in the United States have autism, up from 1 in 44 in 2021. Nebraska has an autism prevalence rate of 1 in 36, according to the Autism Society of America.
But health officials have largely attributed growing autism numbers to better recognition of cases.
“I am happy that our federal government is looking into the rise in the autism prevalence rate and what might be causing that. I’m anxious to see the study results that led to their conclusion,” Martinez said in a statement.
Reach Jenna Ebbers at 402-473-2657 or jebbers@journalstar.com.
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Jenna Ebbers
K-12 education reporter
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