On Monday, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Americans to avoid Tylenol while pregnant, alleging that the use of acetaminophen can lead to an increased risk of a fetus developing autism. Nearly immediately after the president’s press conference, the nation’s top medical associations sounded the alarm about his comments.
“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy,” Steven J. Fleischman, a practicing physician and president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said Monday.
On Wednesday, Dr. Fleischman joined ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to expand on these comments and explain what scientific literature actually says about the causes of autism.
“People have been looking for an association between acetaminophen and autism for a really long time, and the studies just don’t bear that out,” he said. “We haven’t seen a study to date that shows a causal relationship between acetaminophen and autism.”
In response to the president’s suggestion that pregnant patients “tough out” any fever, Dr. Fleischman said that doing so could be dangerous. “There ARE studies that show that high fevers lead to abnormalities… if you have a real fever you should not tough it out. That is terrible advice and really, reckless is the only word I can think of.”
To see the full conversation, click through here or watch the video above.