Study debunks Trump claim that paracetamol causes autism | Autism

Taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase the risk of the child having autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability, a “gold standard” review of the evidence has found.

The findings debunk Donald Trump’s claims last September that the painkiller causes autism, claims that have been condemned by medical, women’s health and scientific organizations around the world.

The US president’s comments sparked concern among pregnant women, as paracetamol is the drug that health authorities around the world recommend using to treat pain, such as headaches and fever.

“This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence that maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children,” said the study published in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health.

It was undertaken by a team of seven researchers from across Europe, led by Asma Khalil, professor of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London, who is also a consultant obstetrician at St George’s Hospital, London.

Their assessment of 43 previous studies on the topic constitutes “the most rigorous analysis of the evidence to date,” they say. The articles they reviewed comparing health outcomes of children born to the same mother included 262,852 children under the age of 18 who were evaluated for autism, 335,255 evaluated for ADHD, and 406,681 evaluated for intellectual disability.

Khalil said: “The message is clear: paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as directed. This is important because paracetamol is the first-line medicine we recommend for pregnant women suffering or having a fever, and so they should feel reassured knowing that they still have a safe option to provide relief from their symptoms.”

Without naming Trump, the researchers categorically refute his remarks. They “hope that this landmark study will put an end to any skepticism about the use of paracetamol during pregnancy, as avoiding paracetamol in cases of pain or significant fever can expose mother and baby to known risks, particularly untreated maternal fever.”

Trump spoke at a White House press conference on September 22. Referring to the drug by its name in the United States, he said: “Taking Tylenol is not good… All pregnant women should talk to their doctor about limiting the use of this medication during pregnancy… Do not take Tylenol. There is no downside.”

He said acetaminophen during pregnancy was so dangerous that his administration planned to tell U.S. doctors to advise pregnant women to avoid using it.

However, this new study concludes that Trump’s statements were baseless. It identified no association between exposure to paracetamol in utero and whether a baby had autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability.

“Familial and genetic factors, including the well-established tendency for autistic traits to run in families, are more plausible explanations for previously observed associations than any direct effects of paracetamol,” it says.

The authors also raise the possibility that a disease that prompts a woman to take paracetamol regularly during pregnancy may itself play a larger role in influencing the neurodevelopmental state of the child.

“Paracetamol is generally used only intermittently, and its prolonged use raises the question of whether the underlying health condition that prompts prolonged use might be more important in shaping neurodevelopmental outcomes than the drug itself,” they say.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, responded to Trump’s claims by advising British women to ignore them. “I would just say to the people watching: don’t pay any attention to what Donald Trump says about medicine,” he said the next day on ITV.

Experts welcomed the Lancet study. “Pregnant women need not worry whether the most commonly used headache medications could have significant effects on their child’s health.

Grainne McAlonan, professor of translational neuroscience at King’s College London, said: “While the impact of last year’s announcement was considerable, I hope the results of this study will put some closure to the matter. »

Dr Steven Kapp, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Portsmouth, said: “The implication is that society needs to stop going down rabbit holes of seeking false preventions of developmental disabilities. Instead, we should focus on creating a better world for people with disabilities.”

Streeting said: “This major study can, once again, reassure expectant mothers around the world that there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism, ADHD or disabilities in their children.

“Our country’s leading scientists, doctors and the NHS are clear that paracetamol is safe to take if you are pregnant and have pain or fever.”