Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump He announced on Monday that his administration strongly encourages women to restrict Tylenol Use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. “I want to say it is, don’t take Tylenol,” he said. However, his comments were under intense criticism from medical professionals and researchers. Because there is no evidence to link painkillers to autism. He also made many questionable claims about autism, vaccines and treatment.
Let’s take a look at the facts.
Is the autism rate increasing?
Trump: “Since 2000, the autism rate has skyrocketed by over 400%.” He said the rate is 1 in 20,000, then one in 10,000, and now one in 31, and he says he says “there is something artificial” to explain that.
Fact: It’s true that you have autism The price is expanding But the number of cards is off. One in 10,000 people date back to the 1990s. 2000, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Put the rate at 1/150. In 2018 it was a 44th. The latest count based on 2022 data is 1/31.
Scientists say that diagnosis from decades ago was rare and only given to children with severe problems. Diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorder” began jumping up and down as scientists learned that developmental disorders encompass a wide range of characteristics and symptoms. And as education and other services grew, more parents began seeking diagnosis to help their children.
Does the use of maternal Tylenol increase the likelihood of autism in babies?
Trump: “Tylenol during pregnancy may be associated with a significant increase in the risk of autism.”
Fact: Research does not prove that. Trump’s Food and Drug Administration This week’s letter to the doctor wasn’t too far away.
It is clear that genetics is the greatest risk factor. Other risks include the age of the child’s father, the age of preterm birth, and whether the mother has health problems during pregnancy, such as fever, infection, or diabetes.
Some studies have increased the likelihood of a link between autism risk and the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, but more studies were not found.
These are observational studies comparing health records on the characteristics of a child’s prenatal acetaminophen and autism. Big Question: These types of studies cannot know if painkillers really made a difference, or instead, whether it is a fever or other health issue that encouraged the need for the pill.
The coalition of autism scientists points out that there hasn’t been an increase in the use of acetaminophen, or paracetamol, known outside the United States, in recent decades, as autism rates during pregnancy.
Risk of not treating fever
Trump: “There’s no drawback to not taking it,” he said by urging women not to take Tylenol while pregnant.
Fact: There are major drawbacks to avoiding Tylenol when pregnant women really need it, according to the country’s leading pregnant doctors. For example, untreated fever can increase the risk of birth defects, premature birth and miscarriage, according to the Maternal Fetal Medicine Association.
Both social studies and American obstetrics and gynecologists say painkillers are a safe and necessary option during pregnancy. Over-the-counter medication labels already tell pregnant women to consult their doctor about their use.
“The condition that people treat with acetaminophen during pregnancy is far more dangerous than any theoretical risk,” ACOG said.
Autism has gained vision in Cuba
Trump: “I’ve heard that Cuba is very expensive and doesn’t have the money to have it or because you don’t want to spend money on it and have it, so you don’t have it. They don’t have Tylenol. And I’ve heard that they don’t have autism in nature.”
Fact: In Cuba, like many parts of the world, autism has begun to gain recognition in recent years. An awareness campaign has been launched on state television to promote the inclusion of people with autism. And according to Psychologist Lisbeth Lisbeth Liszo Suarez at the Ministry of Education, Cuba has nine educational institutions that serve children with autism.
As for paracetamol, Tylenol is widely used in Cuba as it is known outside the US, and doctors prescribe it without restrictions.
Autism is found in the Amish community
Trump says certain groups who are not taking vaccines or pills do not have autism. “The Amish is an example. There is essentially no autism.”
Fact: This is wrong. Although scientific data on autism in the Amish community is limited, studies have found cases. a 2010 paper The International Association for Research on Autism found that autism is less prevalent in the Amish community than in the United States as a whole, but we called for further research to determine how “cultural norms and habits” played a role in that number.
Braxton Mitchell, an epidemiologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said he had worked with the Amish community for 30 years and that his group confirmed that the community had autism. He said Tylenol is used by many Amish people and some chose to vaccinate their children.
However, he said that collecting reliable data on the subject is a challenge as autism and other related conditions require clinical evaluation and expert diagnosis.
Trump exaggerates childhood vaccinations
Trump: “You have a little kid, a little vulnerable kid, you get 80 vaccine vats, 80 blends.”
Fact: The current childhood vaccination schedule recommends routine protection against 18 diseases. They are not all given to “small children” and are of different ages.
The total number of shots between birth and age 18 varies. If you don’t count the shots of flu or the year you’re getting closer to three dozen. COVID-19 Vaccine.
Vaccines have been proven to protect children from common deadly diseases. There is no evidence that schedules are harmful.
Scientists and leads on autism Advocacy groups I agree with people with autism There is no vaccine link to the disorder.
“The research has repeatedly discovered a reliable link between life-saving childhood vaccines and autism. This study spans decades with many people involving thousands of individuals.
Why infants take the hepatitis B vaccine
Trump: “Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no reason to give him hepatitis B to a newborn baby, so I’m going to say I’ll wait until the baby forms at age 12.”
Fact: Hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage and it is true that in adults the virus is spreading through sharing needles when sex or injectable drugs are used.
But for babies, it’s a different story. If a pregnant woman has the virus, it can be handed over to the baby during childbirth. Being a mother should be tested, but not everything. This virus can also live on the surface for more than 7 days at room temperature. This means that unvaccinated infants who live with people with chronic infections can be at risk.
Since 2005, US health officials have recommended that most infants receive the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. As a result, infant infections have dropped sharply.
UP MMR vaccine issues
Trump: I think MMR should be taken separately. This requires me to take a picture of what I feel, mumps, measles and three individually. And when you mix them, it seems there may be problems. Therefore, there is no drawback in taking them separately. In fact, they think it’s better. ”
Fact: Trump refers to a vaccine that combines protection against measles, mumps and rubella. And his suggestion to shoot one combination into three is impossible. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no single antigen version – no measles, mumps only, or rubella only shots – available.
Early concerns about possible links between vaccines and autism stem from fake information about the MMR vaccine in a 1998 paper.
Is it safer for parents to split the vaccine for their infants?
Trump: When the infant vaccine is released at intervals, “We’ll disband the doctor’s visits. We’ll disband them.”
Fact: The message infuriates pediatricians.
“The vaccine interval or delay means that children are not immune to these diseases when they are at their most risk,” said AAP president Creslie.
It is also difficult for parents to visit repeatedly for vaccinations outside their usual well baby schedule.
Trump promotes unproven treatment for autism
Trump is debating the potential for new treatments. “And the baby can get better and in some cases it can be pretty good.”
Fact: At least it hasn’t been proven yet. Trump was referring to a folate metabolite called leucovorin. And it’s not clear to which people if it’s really an effective treatment.
Low levels of folic acid, a type of vitamin B, are associated with certain birth defects, so women are already told to take folic acid before conception and during pregnancy.
A small number of people with autism appear to have low folic acid levels in their brains, probably due to the antibodies that block it. The Autism Science Foundation warns that their non-self-proclaimed relatives often have those antibodies, suggesting that this is not the cause of autism.
However, the theory is that giving folic acid to that subset of people with autism may improve certain symptoms. Few very small clinical trials have been performed with this drug. Therefore, the foundation and other autism experts say that large and rigorous research is needed before recommending it as a treatment.
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Associated Press journalists Andrea Rodriguez of Havana and Barbara Whitaker of New York contributed the report. ___
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