AUTISM AND TYLENOL AND VACCINES

In a joint statement this week, President Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services, R F Kennedy, Jr. proclaimed that they had the answer to the increase in autism diagnoses over the past several years. According to them, taking Tylenol during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of the offspring having autism and other developmental disorders. Most obstetricians and pediatricians recommend that women take their prenatal vitamins and as few other medications as possible. However, taking Tylenol for high fever or severe pain is safer than exposing the fetus to the effects of the fever or pain. It is always wise to consult with your obstetrician before taking any medicine during pregnancy, because some drugs are unsafe.

In a recently published article in 2024 in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors studied over 2,500,000 children in Denmark. When the children were compared to their siblings, there was no difference in the rate of autism between the offspring exposed to maternal Tylenol and the offspring who weren’t exposed during their pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the AMA believe this is a more accurate assessment of the risk of Tylenol and autism. This study indicates there is no increased risk of autism in the unborn child from the mother taking Tylenol during the pregnancy.

We don’t know all the factors that cause autism. There is definitely a genetic component; many children with autism share the same genes. We know that over the past 15-20 years, the criteria used to define autism have improved and include many children that previously would not have been included in the autism spectrum.

Pediatricians are screening for autism starting at 18-24 months.

That does not mean that we have an epidemic of autism in our country. We have just improved diagnosis and screening for autism. The other factor that was brought up in the recent news conference by both the president and RFK, Jr. was the possible link to autism from getting too many vaccines at one time. Multiple studies have shown that there is NO connection between vaccines and autism. The study from England relating autism to the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine was disproven a year later. The doctor lost his license for getting paid by the parents of the children he studied.

Getting vaccines at the same time only improves your child’s immunity and protects them sooner from these life-threatening and preventable diseases. Combining vaccines does not cause autism. Vaccines are given at the age when developmental delays or differences are first noticed, but have no part in causing those delays. If you have further questions, contact your OB-GYN, your pediatrician, or the Health Department. The healthychildren.org website is an excellent source of accurate information about autism, vaccines, and other childhood medical issues.