US President Donald Trump has attracted condemnation from health experts after he sought to claim there was a link between the widely used painkiller Tylenol and autism.
Accompanied by his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump said 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.
Is Trump correct that US autism diagnoses are rising?
During the event, Trump listed statistics that he claimed indicated autism diagnoses in the US have risen rapidly over the past two decades. He claimed that incidence increased from around one in 10,000…probably 18 years ago to one in 31 by 2025.
The final statistic quoted by Trump is correct, as data from the CDC found that level of diagnoses among eight-year-olds across 16 US states.
While that rate has grown over the years, most experts contend that rising rates can be attributed to better diagnosis rather than a true increase in autism incidence.
Trump claimed that California had a more severe problem with autism than other states, noting that about one in 12 boys in California had autism. However, the CDC commented that California's proactive local initiatives in early diagnosis might contribute to these figures.
Should the MMR vaccine be taken separately?
Another of Trump's claims was regarding the MMR vaccine. Experts warn that promoting the idea of separating vaccines could lead to declines in immunization and increase the risk of disease outbreaks. The discredited notion that vaccines cause autism arose from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which has been retracted and debunked by extensive research.
David Elliman, from University College London, emphasized that Trump's assertions lack scientific backing. This year's measles outbreak in the US has reportedly reached the highest levels seen in three decades, validating the importance of continued vaccine coverage.
Are autism rates lower among Amish people?
Trump mentioned the Amish community as having virtually no autism, linking their presumed Tylenol use to this low rate. However, evidence on autism rates within the Amish population is limited, and experts suggest that there are likely diagnostic factors at play.
In conclusion, Trump's statements have ignited significant backlash from both medical professionals and public health advocates, emphasizing the importance of science-based information in public discussions.
