The president, Donald Trump, assured the press on Sunday night that “he believed that Tylenol was a very important factor” in the risk of autism, despite the fact that a recent study has revealed that taking acetaminofén or paracetamol, the active ingredient of that brand, during pregnancy is not related to autism.
When he was asked to confirm the reports that he planned to relate acetaminophen with a higher risk of autism, Trump said: “We will see it tomorrow, but I think it is a very important factor.”
The White House has already reported that an announcement is expected this Monday afternoon (3:50 pm, east time).
One of the most robust studies to date published last year, found that Taking the medication during pregnancy was not linked to autism. The majority of scientific literature published so far has not found a relationship between being exposed to acetaminophen in the belly, also known as Paracetamol – present in Tylenol and other medicines against flu and cold – and the risk to develop autism.
A Kenvue spokesman, a manufacturer of Tylenol, stood out in a statement that “We believe that independent and solid science clearly demonstrates that taking paracetamol does not cause autism.”
“The facts show that more than a decade of rigorous research, backed by leading medical professionals and health regulatory agencies worldwide, confirm that there are no credible evidence that relates the paracetamol with autism,” said the statement.
On the other hand, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has a history of false statements about the relationship between vaccines and the risk of autism.
Meeting between the company and Kennedy
The Kenvue company reported in a statement that it had met with Secretary Kennedy, “as we would do with any regulatory body that would contact us,” to explain with the support of scientific studies why Tylenol does not cause autism.
“We maintained a scientific exchange with the secretary and the members of your team in relation to the safety of our products. Our position remains the same: after evaluating the available scientific data, we continue to believe that taking Paracetamol does not cause autism, and world health regulatory agencies, independent public health organizations and medical professionals agree,” said the statement.
Kenvue was bluntly saying “for the possible confusion and misinformation of consumers about the security of paracetamol consumption during pregnancy, especially now that the season of colds, flu and coughing is approaching.”
In addition, he invited “the regulatory agencies to continue to objectively review the scientific evidence on this issue, as they have done for many years. The United States Food and Medicines Administration (FDA) has been studying this issue for more than a decade and has made multiple revisions since 2014, and continues to recommend the paracetamol during pregnancy and maintaining the same labeling requirements.”
For the last one, the statement cited an FDA statement on its website: “To date, the FDA has not found clear evidence that the proper use of paracetamol during pregnancy causes adverse effects on pregnancy, childbirth, neurological behavior or development.”
NBC News
