News from the USA, United States of America

Apparently RFK Jr will announce the "cause of autism" today

Spoiler - he doesn't know the cause of autism

He's gonna make something up to push his agenda
Tylenol. And as ridiculous as it is, and it 100% is, it's not more ridiculous than half the stuff we hear being said about us and chronic illness in general.

It's not even the most ridiculous thing said about autism by actual physicians who wrote it down in a book thinking it was smart, not even by a long shot. Just as false, but the ridiculous factor is just not there.
 
BBC: 'Trump links pain reliever Tylenol to autism - but many experts are sceptical'

'Doctors in the US will soon be advised not to prescribe the pain reliever Tylenol to pregnant women, US President Donald Trump said, citing a disputed link between the drug and autism.'

'During the announcement on Monday, Kennedy said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a physicians notice about what he said is the potential risk of taking Tylenol during pregnancy.

He said the FDA will also begin the process of initiating a safety label change on the medication and launch a public health campaign to spread awareness.'

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'In August, a review of research led by the dean of Harvard University's Chan School of Public Health found that children may be more likely to develop autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders when exposed to Tylenol during pregnancy.

Researchers argued some steps should be taken to limit use of the drug, but said it was still important for treating maternal fever and pain, which can also have negative effects for children.

But another study, published in 2024, found no relationship between exposure to Tylenol and autism.

It was conducted by looking at a population sample of 2.4 million children born in Sweden between 1995 to 2019. Around 7.5% of them were exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy.

By comparing autism rates between those exposed versus those who were not, as well as comparing siblings who shared genetics, the study concluded that there was no increased risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability that can be definitively linked to acetaminophen.'

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'Kennedy added that the FDA will soon approve Leucovorin, a decades-old drug traditionally used to protect cancer patients against toxicity from chemotherapy, to be used as treatment for children with autism.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the approval will be based on research that he said suggests the drug, which is a form of vitamin B, may help children with autism who are deficient in folate improve their verbal communication.'
 
"many experts are sceptical" is a pathetically poor misrepresentation of the facts.

Yikes, what a bad headline! This headline from CNN is a little better:

Trump links autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy, despite decades of evidence it’s safe

Acetaminophen is the generic name for the drug in the USA, same thing as paracetamol.

EDIT: The article has this note about risk of harm from not treating fevers while pregnant. Taking ibuprofen or aspirin is not advised.
Other common pain relief options like ibuprofen or regular-dose aspirin can increase the risk of serious complications during pregnancy. Not treating a fever can also be dangerous for both the fetus and the pregnant person.

EDIT #2: This article from KFF Health News has a lot more detail:

‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trump Distorts Facts on Autism, Tylenol, and Vaccines, Scientists Say
 
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