GUNNISON, Utah — Even after the White House shared claims linking autism to acetomenaphin, doctors say the messaging about the pain reliever shouldn’t change anything, and that people should take the lowest dose possible for as short as possible.
"The big elephant in the room for neurodevelopment disorders is genetics," said Dr. Brian Lee, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University.
Lee spoke on Monday after President Donald Trump’s announcement that alleged Tylenol is linked to a heightened risk of autism in children.
"Our study, as far as others that have done the same thing, find no evidence to support this possible association," said Lee.
Utah mothers of children with autism question White House claims against Tylenol:
That study followed 2.5 million pregnancies and their children for 20 years. It was a study Dr. Lee led in Sweden, with results published in the Journal of American Medicine last year.
"When we looked at the kids of users, acetomenaphin users, we start a slight increase of risk of autism and ADHD, but association is not causation," Lee explained.
Also promoted during the White House announcement was a new drug, Leucovorin, that the administration believes can help combat autism, along with the benefits of folic acid.
"So first of all, folic acid is an incredibly important nutrient that we know affects neurodevelopment. It’s been 30 years plus since folic acid depletions were linked to neural tube defects. So no one is questioning that," said Lee. "The existing evidence for Leucovorin for treatment for alleviation of autism symptoms is remarkably premature."
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A Utah pharmacist at Gunnison Market Pharmacy says Tylenol is still the safest bet when it comes to a pain medication to take during pregnancy.
"It is by far the best option for pregnancy for analgesics from a pharmacological perspective," said Shawn Sorensen. "I would recommend taking the lowest dose possible of acetaminophen. It’s still classified as a risk, which means it is one of the safest drugs we have out there to take during pregnancy."
Sorensen added that many other options also have proven health risks.
"You always have to weigh whether the risks outweigh the benefit in taking medication," he explained.
Ultimately, health experts recommend talking to your own doctor about the risks and benefits of acetaminophen.
