US President Donald Trump has attracted condemnation from health experts, after he sought to claim that there was a link between the widely used painkiller Tylenol and autism.
Accompanied by his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump said that doctors would soon be advised not to recommend the drug - called paracetamol in some other countries, including the UK - to pregnant women.
The claims have been attacked by medical experts. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the announcement was unsettling and not based on reliable data, while the UK's National Autism Society called Trump's statement dangerous, it's anti-science and it's irresponsible.
During the event, Trump listed a number of statistics which he said showed that autism diagnoses in the US have risen rapidly over the past two decades. He claimed that incidence has increased from around 'one in 10,000…probably 18 years ago' to 'one in 31' by 2025. This latter figure quoted by Trump is accurate according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, while the rate has grown from 18 years ago, it has not increased to the extent Trump suggests. In 2006, the CDC estimated the rate of autism in the US population at about 1 in 110, and in 2008 it was reported as 1 in 88. Changes in diagnostic criteria and increased awareness largely explain this growth, experts emphasize.
Additionally, Trump asserted that California has a more severe problem with autism than other states. The CDC found that about 1 in 12 boys in California had autism, but stressed that local initiatives to diagnose children early could, in fact, account for these numbers.
Another claim made by Trump concerned the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, stating they should be taken separately. Experts have expressed concern that this could lead to vaccine hesitancy and a resurgence of diseases previously under control due to vaccination. The notion that vaccines contribute to autism has been debunked in numerous studies, including a large 2019 Danish study that tracked over 657,000 children.
Trump's assertion regarding low autism rates among the Amish community drew skepticism as well. While he claimed that the Amish have virtually no autism, there is limited research on this population. A 2010 study suggested a rate of 1 in 271 in some Amish communities, implying that autism does exist there, although many potentially autistic individuals may go undiagnosed due to cultural factors.
The press conference emphasized Trump's long history of questioning the safety of vaccines, dating back to 2007, and his association with figures like Kennedy who propagate anti-vaccine sentiments.
As the health discourse evolves, experts are urging the public to rely on scientific evidence and the guidance of medical professionals over unfounded claims from political figures.
