Fearmongering, blaming mothers, and even talk of a so-called “magic cure for autism” were featured in controversial remarks by President Trump. He cited what critics called a “high-quality” science’ report, though outlets like The Guardian challenged its credibility.
During his speech, Trump described the rise in autism diagnoses as a “horrible crisis,” a topic he said he was “very concerned about.” He even spoke of an “autism epidemic” in the country. In fact, during an official broadcast, he declared: “I think we’ve found an answer to autism,” calling the announcement “one of the most important things we will ever do.”
The problem is that finding the cause of autism is anything but simple. The scientific community has spent decades studying this complex condition, and its explanation is far from straightforward or reducible to a single factor, as the White House seems to suggest.
However, Trump claims to have identified the root of the problem: according to him, the use of acetaminophen—also known as paracetamol, or by its most familiar U.S. brand name, Tylenol—during pregnancy is responsible for causing autism in children, especially in the later stages of gestation. This was even shared on the White House’s official website. But what was he basing this on?
On what evidence did Trump rely to assert that Tylenol causes autism?
To back up his claim, the White House cited, among others, four scientific studies. However, none of them demonstrates causation. In every case, what researchers found were statistical associations, with methodological limitations acknowledged by the authors themselves. So what does the evidence actually show? Here’s a breakdown:
Boston Birth Cohort
This study measured acetaminophen biomarkers in umbilical cord blood and found that higher exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of autism and ADHD, even showing a …
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Author: Camila Berriex / High Times
