JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Earlier this week, President Trump declared that pregnant women should not take acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, because of its possible link to autism in children.
However, Dr. Katherine Pannel, President of the Mississippi State Medical Association, said the science does not back up that claim.
“Many, many studies done in the past, multiple large, well-credited, well-established, well-designed studies that have looked at the risk of autism, ADHD, with Tylenol, and they have found no credible link between the two,” said Pannel.
According to Pannel, there is a bigger risk that expectant mothers must weigh.
“While there’s not really any true link between Tylenol and autism, there is an established link between high fevers and neurocognitive risk to the infant,” Pannel explained.
Some may ask why there has been a steady increase in autism rates.
Pannel, a psychiatrist, pointed to a possibility.
“We’re starting to understand it more. We are starting to know what to look for and how to test for it and so, of course, we are starting to pick up more,” Pannel said. “And that’s where you’re seeing the increased number of cases.”
So, here’s what you need to know.
Currently, the Mississippi State Department of Health and the University of Mississippi Medical Center still recommend taking the lowest possible dose of Tylenol for the shortest amount of time – as it is the only non-opioid option for fever and pain relief.
“Not saying, ‘Well, I think I feel pretty good, but let me take one more dose,’” Dr. Lindsey Turner, an obstetrician-gynecologist, added. “Let’s go ahead and say, ‘I feel better. Let me stop the therapy now.’”
Doctors said reports like this can cause fear and expectant mothers should always consult with their doctors.
“It worries me because I think that one of the reasons we have identified that we do have a higher infant and maternal mortality rate is the access to care,” Turner said.
“Until there’s actually a credible link, we can’t just stop doing what we know works,” Pannel said. “I mean, that’s when harm follows.”
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