Health officials across the globe are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s warning that pregnant women should limit the use of acetaminophen over unsubstantiated claims of a link to autism.
A mother from Needham, Massachusetts, whose child has autism, is speaking with us about the new announcement from the Trump administration.
“For them to tell people that it’s not safe now is confusing for parents,” said Marlene Schlesinger, a speech pathologist and special educator who also leads support groups for parents in Massachusetts through Nurturing Neurodivergence Together.
The bulk of scientific research has not identified a link between acetaminophen and autism. Experts have pointed out that not treating a fever or other pain during pregnancy can also be harmful.
“There’s nothing that they say about the cause in terms of Tylenol or anything,” Schlesinger said. “A lot of it is genetics. So there’s nothing that you can really do, it just, it is what it is. And you figure out how to support and how to do the best you can.”
NBC10 Boston reached out to the major hospital systems in the Boston area on Tuesday, but most either declined an interview or did not respond.
Mass General Brigham was the only one to send us a statement, on behalf of a doctor.
“By studying genetics, brain development, early life experiences and biological and environmental factors, we aim to identify autism earlier, tailor treatments, and better support individuals and families. Through this approach and with current validated evidence from large clinical trials, there is no established proof that acetaminophen is a cause of autism,” the statement read.
None of the hospital systems we reached out to responded to our questions on whether they would change any of their patient procedures after these claims from the Trump administration.