The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about autism and “misleading.”
On Monday afternoon, Trump, alongside health leaders in his administration, once again shook the medical community. He announced “major progress in understanding the root causes of autism”, yet no new scientific data was unveiled.
“But with Tylenol, don’t take it. Don’t take it,” said President Trump.
The press conference at the White House was to announce an association between childhood autism and acetaminophen, but no new data were released, and Trump did not directly cite scientific studies.
“Commonly known as Tylenol, during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism. So, taking Tylenol is not good,” said the president.
Currently, there is no new scientific information on autism spectrum disorder related to acetaminophen.
In a on the White House website, the administration cited three peer-reviewed studies: two from 2019 and one from 2022. All three found an “association” between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and “risk” of adverse birth outcomes like ADHD or autism.
In the context of medical research, an “association does not equal cause.” In each of those cited studies, the researchers stated that more scientific investigation is needed.
The White House also mentioned a from this past summer that analyzed 46 international studies. That paper also concluded there is an “association” but no “definitive causation”.
The strong warning from President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was significantly toned down in a letter to American doctors from FDA Commissioner Martin Makary.
The the “causal relationship” between acetaminophen and autism “has not been established,” but suggests doctors “consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.”