The president also indulged several popular myths about vaccines and autism. “I think I can say that there are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills that have no autism,” Trump said.
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Then he turned to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and asked: “Is that a correct statement, by the way?”
Kennedy said some studies suggested that was true among the Amish.
Trump added: “Bobby wants to be very careful with what he says, and he should, but I’m not so careful with what I say.”
Later, Kennedy confirmed the FDA would advise against the use of acetaminophen – known as paracetamol in Australia – during pregnancy due to clinical and laboratory studies that suggested a “potential association” between paracetamol use during pregnancy and adverse neurological outcomes, including autism and ADHD.
He said the government had evaluated other studies that suggested there was no association, but did not say anything about the results of that evaluation.
Trump speaks as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. watches on.Credit: AP
Scientific research has shown there might be a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism, but no causal relationship has been proven.
“Evidence is mixed,” said Associate Professor Kevin Yap from La Trobe University.
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Australian researchers have also warned that, contrary to Trump’s advice, there are risks from not treating high fever during pregnancy. A sustained high fever is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and fetal malformations. Experts advise that paracetamol is the safest way to control a fever in pregnancy.
But Trump argued there was no reason to wait for any further evidence as there was “no downside” to pregnant women opting not to take Tylenol for a fever, and urged them to “tough it out” instead.
“Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen [sic],” Trump said.
Medical experts and drug companies pushed back against the claims aired at the news conference, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists saying Trump’s comments were “irresponsible”.
Tylenol maker Kenvue, a spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, said that independent, sound science clearly showed taking paracetamol did not cause autism.
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“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers,” the company said. Its share price fell nearly 7.5 per cent on Monday.
Trump also suggested the drug leucovorin – a form of folic acid – as a treatment for autism symptoms, and the FDA said it would seek approval for patients believed to have low levels of folate in the brain, which may include some people with autism.
Some research has suggested the drug may help with autism symptoms when given to certain children, but experts say larger, more rigorous studies are needed.
The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from Kennedy’s diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the US in recent years.
Tylenol caplets.Credit: Getty Images
Experts say the rise in cases is mainly due to a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a “spectrum”, and better diagnoses. They say there is no single cause to the disorder and the rhetoric appears to ignore and undermine decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.
But Trump and Kennedy have long been obsessed with the rising caseload of autism, which Kennedy labelled an “epidemic”. The Centres for Disease Control say the disorder affects about one in 31 American children.
The White House later doubled down on what it called the “frenzied hyperventilation” of the media after Trump’s announcement.
“The Trump administration does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“There is mounting evidence finding a connection between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, and that’s why the administration is courageously issuing this new health guidance.”
With Natassia Chrysanthos, AP, Bloomberg
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