“I’ve been waiting for this day for 20 years,” said US president Donald Trump, before blaming the consumption of Paracetamol – Tylenol – during the pregnancy of the supposed “autism epidemic” that the country is experiencing. And has signed on Monday a decree that approves a drug allegedly effective to deal with this condition. “Tylenol can be associated in pregnancy to autism,” Trump said: “It is not good and we recommend that they limit Tylenol in pregnancy.”
“There is a rumor, and I do not know if it is true or not, that in Cuba they have no paracetamol because they do not have money for paracetamol, and practically do not have autism,” said the US president: “If you cannot endure, if you cannot do it, you will take a tylenol, but it will be in moderation … but I think you should not do it.”
Trump has affirmed that, with immediate effect, the FDA – administration of food and medicines – will issue a medical notice and initiate a change in the security label of acetaminophen – the active ingredient of the paracetamol -, and has been very vehement to emphasize that pregnant women should not take Tylenol. The Department of Health will also launch a national public service campaign to inform families and protect public health, according to a poster with the president.
Donald Trump himself advanced his intentions on Sunday, during the tribute to Charlie Kirk, revealing that this Monday would make “one of the most important medical ads” in the history of his country. “I think it will seem amazing,” he said. “I think we have found a solution to autism.” Previously, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the denial of the vaccines Robert F. Kennedy Jr., already announced a “mass effort” about this disease and that by September we would know “what has caused the epidemic of autism.”
The Department of Health, with Robert Kennedy JR at the head, expresses its concern about the use of acetaminophen in pregnant women, the active ingredient of paracetamol (in the US marketed as Tylenol) and one of the most used medications in the world.
These statements go against accumulated evidence for years about the security of paracetamol during pregnancy. The main medical societies identify him as a safe analgesic in this period, although they recommend pregnant women to consult with their doctor before taking it, as with any other treatment.
