Health / Ability Shetland criticises ‘ridiculous’ US autism advice
CLAIMS from America that paracetamol can cause autism among young children if taken by pregnant mothers have been labelled as “ridiculous and irresponsible” by a local charity.
Ability Shetland, which supports children and adults with additional support needs in all areas of life, criticised the comments made by the Trump administration in the USA earlier this week.
President Trump and his health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr this week claimed that Tylenol – also known as paracetamol – could cause autism in young children, urging pregnant mothers to limit their use of the painkiller.
Their claims have been discredited by medical organisations in both America and the UK, with the UK’s National Autism Society calling them “dangerous” and “anti-science”.
Ability Shetland also criticised the Trump administration’s statement.
“Autism is not caused by anything other than genetics and does not need a cure – it is a difference, not a disadvantage,” the charity said.
It also shared information from the National Autistic Society, which said that painkillers and vaccines “do not cause autism”.
“Large-scale studies have shown that there no robust, scientific evidence to support this claim,” the society said.
“It’s nothing more than fearmongering.”
NHS Shetland also shared a statement on Facebook on behalf of its director of pharmacy Anthony McDavitt and chief midwife Jacqueline Whitaker in response to the claims.
“We understand there may be some distress and confusion caused following recent news reports concerning the use of paracetamol in pregnancy,” they said.
“We are sharing the advice from the UK’s independent medicines regulator, the MHRA.
“After reviewing the available evidence, the MHRA has issued the following guidance:
– Paracetamol remains the safest choice of painkiller medication to use during pregnancy.
– There is no scientific evidence to show a link between taking paracetamol during pregnancy and the development of autism.”
They said that the MHRA was the official body responsible for making sure all medicines in the UK are safe, with their teams reviewing scientific evidence and safety data from around the world.
This “expert national guidance” was followed in Shetland, they said, and they urged people to speak to their midwife, GP or pharmacist if they have any questions.
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