During the funeral of Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump teased about an important announcement related to Autism soon.
On Monday, President Trump stood with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. in the White House and claimed that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy causes Autism in kids. However, he offered no evidence or any studies beyond such a major claim.
In a White House speech on September 22, Trump then went on to claim that the populations that avoid Tylenol, such as Cuba and the Amish, have "virtually no autism".
During his speech, however, he even mispronounced "acetaminophen," and urged pregnant women to avoid Tylenol. He then asked women to bear the pain and suffer through the fever, as it would be far more preferable.
These statements, made without any scientific studies, have caused a mountain of controversy. These remarks are not only highly irresponsible but extremely misogynistic. They have alarmed public health experts and scientists alike.
Donald Trump, in his bizarre speech, very casually connected the usage of Tylenol in pregnancy to Autism. He again cited anecdotal evidence. Saying how there have been low reports of Autism in the Amish community and Cuba, due to low usage of Tylenol.
He also expressed his doubts about vaccines and pill usage, and then tied them to Autism. He then claimed that communities that do not take vaccines or pills have a very low number of cases. He disparaged the drug, urging some women to "tough it out" instead of using it.
The public outrage over these casual remarks was almost instant. Health professionals everywhere were quick to rebuke Trump's claims.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement and called these talks extremely irresponsible. They pointed out that after research and years of usage, the current medical consensus finds acetaminophen safe during pregnancy if used carefully.
The medical community has also warned that discouraging its usage would leave pregnant women in a lot of pain, discomfort, and complications.
Scientists have again and again reiterated that correlation does not mean causation. They have pointed out that what Trump has shown observational studies, not the proper data. These studies do not establish causation.
To establish that, a rigorous study, a big study pool, and a lot of time are needed.
Many experts are also concerned that giving such random statements is an attempt to oversimplify the complex issue of Autism. This is a result of genetic environment and prenatal factors and is never due to a single cause.
Social media reacted strongly against these claims. People have expressed doubts that such claims could cause anxiety among those who follow Trump blindly and could sow doubt and hesitation around safe and recommended treatment during pregnancy.
Others even mocked the mispronunciation of something that was apparently the star topic of the speech.
They also mocked the circular logic of correlating low Tylenol use with low autism prevalence and how Trump did not even talk about other variables such as genetics, prenatal care etc.
Donald Trump, in his speech, took the names of various places in the world where the general population does not take Tylenol and claimed that they have low Autism, therefore faulting his argument since even no Tylenol does not mean no autism. He also forgot to compare the population size while mentioning "low autism" cases.
It is very important to know that the first recorded case of Autism was in 1943, Donald Triplett ("Case 1") and Tylenol was introduced in the market in 1955. The first recorded case does not mean that there were no cases of Autism before, it just means that there were no clear diagnostic guidelines before 1943.
These claims, based on unfounded observation, would only create panic among the public and more troubles for pregnant women who already have a difficult 9 months.