Trump linked paracetamol, vaccines and autism, drawing sharp reactions from doctors: Irresponsible statements

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump last night from the White House promoted unverified, and in some cases long-refuted, claims about the link between paracetamol, vaccines, and autism, and his administration announced a broad initiative to research the causes of this complex brain disorder, AP reports.

"Do not take paracetamol," Trump repeated to pregnant women about ten times during an unusually long and chaotic press conference at the White House.

He also urged mothers not to give the drug, known in North America by its generic name acetaminophen, to their babies. In addition, he fueled long-dismissed claims that ingredients in vaccines or vaccination schedules that are too close together can contribute to the rise in autism rates in the US, without any medical evidence.

The announcement, according to US media, is partly based on existing studies, not new research. It comes at a time when Trump's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is seeking answers about the causes of autism.

This is a diverse coalition gathered around Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr., which also includes vaccine opponents known for spreading unsubstantiated claims that vaccines cause autism.

Doctors condemned his statements as irresponsible.

"The saddest display of lack of evidence, spreading rumors, recycling old myths, bad advice, outright lies, and dangerous messages I have ever seen from someone in power," bioethicist Art Caplan from New York University told US media.

During the conference, Trump announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would begin sending notices to doctors that the use of acetaminophen "may be linked" to an increased risk of autism. However, he did not immediately offer a rationale for the new recommendation.

Trump also urged that children not be given paracetamol, but scientists emphasize that autism develops in the fetal brain.

The Society for Fetal and Maternal Medicine also reacted to Trump's statements, emphasizing that they continue to recommend paracetamol as an appropriate medication for reducing fever and relieving pain during pregnancy. The president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called Trump's suggestions "irresponsible given the harmful and confusing message to pregnant women".

Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration "does not believe that taking more pills is always the answer to better health" and that they "will not give up because they know millions of Americans are grateful".

Paracetamol manufacturer Kenvue rejected any link between the drug and autism. They warned that if pregnant women do not use paracetamol when needed, they might be forced to choose between enduring high fever or using riskier painkillers. Kenvue shares fell 7.5 percent on Monday, reducing the company's market value by about 2.6 billion euros.

Kennedy announced at the conference that, at Trump's urging, he is launching a new inter-agency initiative to investigate all possible factors in the development of autism – an issue science has been working on for decades.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary announced the first steps towards approving leucovorin, a metabolite of folic acid, as a therapy for patients believed to have low folate levels in the brain, which could include some individuals with autism.

Leucovorin is already used to alleviate the side effects of some medications, including chemotherapy and other potent immune-affecting therapies. Its effect is to raise folate levels, a B vitamin crucial for producing healthy red blood cells.

Women are already encouraged to take folic acid before and during pregnancy, as it reduces the risk of neural tube malformations.

Smaller studies in recent years have shown improvements in children with autism after high-dose folic acid therapy. However, as Mandell said, these works are "really very small." "To prove the effect, we would need an independent, large, and strictly controlled randomized study," he said.

During the conference, Trump said he believes in vaccines, but asserted without evidence that vaccinations given too close together may be linked to autism. However, delaying vaccinations, as he suggested, increases the risk that children will contract vaccine-preventable diseases in the meantime.