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A promised report from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will claim the use of the common painkiller Tylenol during pregnancy is a potential cause for autism, The Wall Street Journal reported, while the drug’s maker maintains the drug’s safety.
The report is slated to publish this month. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Kenvue, which owns McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the maker of Tylenol, told Forbes in an email, “We have continuously evaluated the science and continue to believe there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.”
Acetaminophen, the key drug in Tylenol, is available in a variety of other over-the-counter pain-killers.
The HHS report will include findings linking pregnant women’s use of the painkiller to autism and also will suggest folinic acid as a means of decreasing autism symptoms, according to the Journal.
HHS told Forbes in an email, “Until we release the final report, any claims about its contents are nothing more than speculation.”
Kenvue said in a follow-up statement it appreciates “the Secretary acknowledging media coverage on the upcoming HHS report is ‘nothing more than speculation.’”
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Make Money Online What Have Scientists Said About Pregnancy And Acetaminophen?
A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed sibling pairs and found “no evidence of increased risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability associated with acetaminophen use.” The Food and Drug Administration told non-profit magazine Undark in 2023 that “extensive reviews” of acetaminophen’s pregnancy impacts “failed to turn up solid evidence of a link between the drug and neurodevelopmental issues.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a 2021 statement it had “always identified acetaminophen as one of the only safe pain relievers for pregnant individuals during pregnancy,” noting prior studies on the matter do not show evidence that “proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during any trimester and fetal developmental issues.”
Make Money Online Are Autism Rates Increasing In The U.s.?
Yes. Scientists in the 1960s and 1970s, when the first studies on autism rates were conducted, estimated two to four cases per 10,000 children, according to the National Institutes of Health. In 2002, the estimate increased to six to seven cases per 1,000 children and in 2022, it rose to about 32 cases per 1,000 children.
Make Money Online What Is Behind The Increase In Autism Prevalence?
NIH scientists have mainly attributed the rise in autism prevalence to expanded diagnostic criteria for autism and the introduction of the autism spectrum, which was first coined in 1994 and identifies different types of autistic conditions. Autism screening has also improved alongside a jump in autism spectrum disorder risk factors such as the increase in older parents having children.
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Kennedy said in April the HHS would identify the cause of rising autism disorders in the U.S. by September, launching a “massive testing and research effort” involving “hundreds of scientists from around the world.” The health secretary also said “we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.” Kennedy has long pushed conspiracy theories claiming autism is caused by vaccines and promoted a theory claiming a vaccine preservative known as thimerosal, which was phased out of use in 2001, was the reason for an increase in autism diagnoses. Research from the Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines has said the preservative does not cause autism spectrum disorder. Kennedy’s view on the link between vaccines and autism has been adopted by President Donald Trump, who baselessly suggested autism prevalence could be linked to the consumption of certain foods or drugs or “maybe it’s a shot.”
Make Money Online Further Reading
RFK Jr. Promises To Identify Cause Of Autism By September — What To Know About His Claim (Forbes)
