On Monday, President Donald Trump discouraged pregnant women from taking acetaminophen products such as Tylenol and repeated debunked claims linking the drug and vaccines to autism.
Dr. Kristin Lyerly, board chair for the Committee to Protect Health Care and a practicing OB-GYN, refuted Trump’s claims and said there is no evidence that Tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism.
Lyerly noted that Tylenol and similar products are among the few options pregnant women can use to address fevers and pain.
"Tylenol taken during pregnancy does not cause autism. This is incredibly frustrating for me as a physician, but my patients are scare," she said. "They're hurting. There are few things that pregnant people can use and acetaminophen is something that most people use at some point in their pregnancy."
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Lyerly said there are studies that show an association between increased Tylenol use and higher autism rates, but stressed that association does not mean causation.
One thing Lyerly and Trump would seemingly agree on is that more and better research is needed to determine why there is an association between Tylenol use and higher autism rates.
"We need to know what causes autism. Families are desperate for this information, but we don't have it right now. And at this point, frankly, we don't know what causes autism," she said.
The number of autism diagnoses in the United States has increased in recent years, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found one in 31 children born in 2014 were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A previous CDC report indicated that among children born in 2012, one in 36 had been diagnosed by age 8. Among children born in 1992, the proportion was one in 150.
Scientists do not know exactly why autism rates have risen over the past 25 years, but they believe much of the increase is due to expanded diagnostic criteria and improved detection. They also say genetics and exposure to chemicals may play a role.
Lyerly noted that pregnant women are encouraged not to take ibuprofen, which studies have shown can lead to other health issues. There are other options besides Tylenol, including rest, baths, massages, ice and heat.
"But when it comes to controlling pain in pregnancy, there just aren't a lot of things we can use. Severe pain, sometimes we can use narcotics, but we don't like to use those. You know, that's a whole other can of worms that we get into if we start using really intense pain medication.
"So when it comes to your pregnancy, we have to make sure that we are hearing what your symptoms are and addressing your particular pain in a way that works for you," she said.
