Autism expert responds to Trump acetaminophen and vaccines claim : NPR

The generic acetaminophen capsules are presented on Wednesday December 18, 2019 in Santa Ana, California.

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Chris Carlson / AP

President Trump’s suggestion that a link exists between autism and acetaminophen – the active ingredient in Tylenol – has raised concerns within the scientific community.

Trump, as well as the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Centers for Medicare and the chief of Medicaid, Dr. Mehmet Oz, said on Monday that autism rates were increasing because pregnant women take the drug that is often used to treat pain and fever.

“Taking Tylenol is not good,” said Trump during an announcement in which he also discouraged to give the medication to young children. The manufacturer of Tylenol, Kenvue, told NPR in a press release that “independent and solid science clearly shows that the taking of acetaminophen does not cause autism. We do not strongly agree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned about the risks to health and the confusion that this poses to wait for mothers and parents.”

Helen Tager-Flusberg, director of the Center for Autism Research Excellence (Care) at the University of Boston and founder of the Coalition of Autism Scientists, described the announcement of the administration as “consistency”. She said it was “a very important distortion” of what science says of any possible link between acetaminophen and autism.

The message “is likely to have an impact on millions of lives of pregnant women at the moment. Mothers of autistic children who will be so afraid that they have done to cause the autism of their child, which is absolutely not the case,” said Tager-Flusberg.

Addressing Michel Martin of NPR, Tager-Flusberg, who has studied autism for decades, responded to the affirmations that Trump made on autism, acetaminophen and vaccines, and the decision of the FDA to label the leucuvorine as an option of treatment for autism.

Genetics plays a more important role in autism

At the White House on Monday, Trump said that pregnant patients should “fight like hell not to take [acetaminophen]”He continued to say:” There can be a point where you need and that – you will have to train with yourself. So don’t take Tylenol. “”

A study published in August by Harvard University revealed that women who said they took acetaminophen while pregnancy seemed more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism. Ann Bauer, an epidemiologist who worked on this study, told NPR that she feared that it is too early for the federal government to offer advice and that the research community had to see more evidence.

Tager-Flusberg said that if there is an association between acetaminophen and autism, it is “small” and “limited” and “most likely interacts with genetics, which is the main contribution to what causes autism”.

She added: “There is absolutely no evidence to support the kind of solid statement we heard by President Trump.”

There is no link between autism and measles, mumps and rubella vaccine

Tager -Flusberg said that the combination of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) – that Trump also targeted on Monday – is “perfectly safe” and that research has completely demystified the links between computer science and autism. The study after the study found no link between autism and the vaccine, which is generally administered to children after their first birthday and again between 4 and 6 years, according to the CDC.

Trump on Monday suggested dividing the Ror vaccine administration into several visits.

“Do not let them pump your baby with the biggest stack of things you have ever seen in your life, entering the little delicate body of a baby, even if it’s two years, three years, four, you break it, I would say five, but let’s say four, four visits to the doctor instead of a.”

Tager-Flusberg said Trump, making concern “likely to raise the fear of mothers, confusion and chaos for pediatricians”.

“This is really not what our society needs right now,” she added.

Is leucuvorine a valid treatment for the deficiencies of speech caused by autism?

Food and Drug Administration also announced on Monday that it would label Leucuvorine, a form of vitamin B generally used with cancer drugs, as a treatment for deficits linked to speech associated with autism.

Tager -Flusberg said that if a “promising” small -scale study has shown an improvement in language for a group of children who have received leucuvorine, treatment A – at best – supporting evidence “.

She added that researchers must rely on the first studies with a large -scale randomized controlled trial and that they must know what results can be expected, dosage levels and which children observe.

“We need a study to study this now, far before the FDA … should approve this medication,” said Tager-Flusberg. “They did not do this for a single other drug in the history of autism.”

This digital story was published by Majd al-Waheidi. The story of radio was published by Adriana Gallardo and produced by Mansee Khurana.