U.S. President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr have urged pregnant women to avoid using paracetamol.
At a press conference on Monday (local time), Kennedy said there were links between the drug and “adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes,” including autism and ADHD.
Other U.S. bodies have not confirmed the claim, and Australian authorities say the drug is safe.
Trump described the “meteoric rise in autism” as one of America’s “most alarming public health developments in history.”
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition diagnosed through developmental assessments and behavioural observations.
The support that Autistic people need can vary widely because autism is a spectrum.
It is often characterised by differences in communication styles and issues with sensory processing.
In the 1990s, a study suggested routine childhood vaccines could cause autism. The study has been debunked, and its author was de-registered as a doctor.
ADHD
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It can make it difficult to concentrate or control impulses.
Symptoms usually appear in childhood and diagnosis requires a thorough behavioural assessment.
Children typically need to visit a paediatrician, while adults usually receive diagnosis and treatment from psychologists or psychiatrists.
It’s estimated that around one in 20 Australians has ADHD.
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Kennedy has announced a nationwide campaign to crack down on the use of paracetamol (sold in the U.S. as acetaminophen) among pregnant women, cautioning against “adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes”.
In a statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said: “Some studies have described that the risk may be most pronounced when
acetaminophen is taken chronically throughout pregnancy to childbirth.”
However, it said no “causal relationship” had been established.
The U.S. Health and Human Services department, led by Kennedy, advised doctors to “exercise their best judgment” when prescribing paracetamol to pregnant women, encouraging them to prescribe the “lowest effective dose for the shortest duration”.
The FDA has been ordered to begin the process of including a safety warning label on paracetamol prescriptions.
The Government has also allocated $US50 million ($AU76 million) to “uncover the root causes of autism”.
Paracetamol
Australian health authorities consider paracetamol safe for use during pregnancy.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) lists the drug as a ‘Pregnancy Category A’ medicine, meaning it is commonly used by pregnant women with no issues.
The TGA confirmed there are no current Australian investigations into links between paracetamol and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Australia Government
The Australian Government has cautioned pregnant women not to follow Trump and Kennedy’s advice without first seeking medical guidance.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the Government is working with the TGA to provide advice.
“Paracetamol is not obviously just a pain-killing medication, it’s an important treatment for fever, which can also be dangerous if left untreated while you’re pregnant,” Butler said.
