US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday there is a link between autism and the use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in the popular over-the-counter drug Tylenol — during pregnancy.Trump described the increase in autism in the US as “one of the most alarming public health developments in history.”He pointed to sharply increasing diagnosis rates over recent years, saying just a few decades ago “one in 10,000 children had autism... now the overall rate is one in 31.”He claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could be a major factor, telling reporters at the White House, “taking Tylenol is not good… All pregnant women should talk to their doctors about limiting the use of this medication while pregnant.”“I have so many friends with autistic children, it's a tough situation,” Trump said, adding that the ultimate goal is to end autism “completely.”US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. then took to the podium, announcing that the health department and US Food and Drug Administration would work to change the label on acetaminophen risks.Kennedy, who has previously claimed that the condition is caused by vaccinations, attributed the rise in autism to “environmental toxins.”.Study finds prenatal exposure to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine induces autism-like behaviors in rats.Trump’s announcement comes after the release of a Harvard-led review of existing studies suggesting a possible association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.However, a large U.S. government-funded study — the most comprehensive to date — found no increased risk of autism linked to the medication.Major medical groups have long said acetaminophen is safe for consumption but have advised pregnant women to consult with their physicians before use.“It is disingenuous and misleading to boil autism’s causes down to one simple thing,” Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, said in a statement from the Autism Science Foundation earlier this month.“We know that autism is incredibly complicated, and we need to move away from studies that simplify it down to one exposure without any other considerations,” she added.Trump also claimed that countries without “access to Tylenol,” such as Cuba, have “no autism,” and said that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would soon announce new grant funding for autism research, including data science initiatives.
