Autism has no easy answers

US President Donald Trump's promotion of an unproven link between paracetamol and neurological disorders does not help pregnant women.

- Anjana Ahuja

For those who desire motherhood, pregnancy is a privilege. But that joy can be tinged with feelings of anxiety and guilt, given a roiling sea of bans, strictures, guidelines, recommendations and advice. Yes to folic acid supplements but be wary of dairy. Farewell, pinot noir and pate; hello, pelvic floor exercises.

Now, a new grenade has landed. On Sept 22, US President Donald Trump declared that pregnant women should avoid Tylenol, a branded, over-the-counter pain reliever that contains acetaminophen (the same ingredient is called paracetamol outside North America), because of a possible link with autism.

The President, standing next to his health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, urged pregnant women to “fight like hell not to take it” and added unsubstantiated claims on childhood vaccines rooted in debunked conspiracy theories. Mr Trump advocated separating doses so that babies would not be pumped “like a horse” - without addressing the risks of leaving infants exposed to preventable diseases between doses.

The Food and Drug Administration is updating safety labelling on acetaminophen and exploring leucovorin, a form of folic acid used by chemotherapy patients, as a possible treatment for autism.