When the President of the United States stands on a podium and proclaims that Tylenol -, locally known as Panadol -leads to autism in children, parents listen. His statements sparked a wave of fear, anxiety and anxiety at least in Karachi, from where we report.
An autism expert at Aga Khan University was “flooded” with anxious calls and emails during the weekend after Trump’s briefing.
“Many mothers feel guilty, thinking that their child’s autism could be linked to the drugs taken during pregnancy,” said Dr. Sidra Kaleem, one of the rare Pakistan development pediatricians, and the director of the child’s development and rehabilitation center at the AGA Khan University Hospital.
“It is important to understand the difference between causality and association,” she said. Some studies have observed that children developed autism after their mother took Panadol during pregnancy, Others did not do it. “This proves that taking Panadol does not guarantee that a child will develop autism,” she said.
Autism is largely a condition, the genetic and environmental factors contributing. “Vaccines do not cause autism,” she added as a comparison. “We have seen autistic children in areas where vaccination programs do not exist.”
Autism manifests itself as social communication difficulties, repetitive behavior and challenges in understanding societal standards, especially when these signs appear in early childhood.
“Tylenol remains one of the safest analgesics for pregnant women, and using it if necessary is not a risk factor for autism,” said Dr. Sidra.
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What does Trump said?
Panadol, largely prescribed for pregnant women for fever and minor pain, is considered one of the “safest” options during pregnancy. Acetaminophen – known in the world as “Tylenol” or “Panadol” – is the same drug used to treat pain and fever.
Speaking in a Blank House briefing on autism research, President Donald Trump said that the Food and Drug Administration would inform doctors that the prenatal use of acetaminophen “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism”.
Scientists react to Trump
A large non-profit organization based in the United States has focused on autism, Autism speakshas published this declaration: “We urge that the resources of the administration are devoted to advancing new and innovative research fields, so that the community benefits from new ideas, rather than reviewing questions that have been well studied, including vaccines and autism.”
WHO and European regulators have also weighed. “Neither acetaminophen (Tylenol / Panadol) nor vaccines cause autism,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, noting that certain observation studies suggested a possible association but that the evidence remains incoherent.
Tylenol’s medical experts and parent company, Kenvue, rejected Trump’s allegations. “Independent science clearly shows that acetaminophen does not cause autism,” said a spokesperson for People Magazine.
Dr. Karam Radwan, director of the Uchicago Medicine Neurodevelopmental Clinic, added: “Tylenol has been used safely for decades and remains one of the safest options to treat fever and pain during pregnancy.”
The Regulatory Agency for Medicines and Health Products in the United Kingdom (MHRA) has echoed this comfort, declaring: “Patient safety is our absolute priority. There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children. ”
WHO and MHRA have also specified that autism occurs even in areas without vaccination programs, strengthening that vaccines do not cause the condition – and likewise, there is no evidence that Panadol (acetaminophen) taken during pregnancy causes autism.
“ We cannot draw radical conclusions ”
The head of the Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology, Professor Dr Syed Jamal Raza, said The Express PK Press ClubIt is difficult to establish a clear link between analgesics and autism.
“If we are particularly talking about Panadol, we must ask ourselves why mothers take it during pregnancy in the first place. Often this is due to an underlying viral infection or body pain. So, indirectly, there was already another present factor. You cannot isolate the effect. We call this a confusing effect – when two effects appear together. ”
He stressed that when all the factors are taken into account, there is still no evidence suggesting that Panadol causes autism. “Other factors, such as environmental influences or excessive screen time, can also play a role. We cannot draw radical conclusions like Trump made. During pregnancy, even the slightest risk can cause complications, which is why we generally avoid drugs completely.
When asked what really causes autism, Dr. Raza said there was no unique reason. “Autism is a multi-factory disorder. There is not a single gene directly linked. What we know is that there can be a genetic predisposition, which is then triggered by environmental factors. ”
By clarifying more, he added that autism has a very high inheritance rate, and approximately 5 to 10% of cases result from unique genius disorders. Brain development anomalies also play a role, alongside environmental influences.
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Drawing a comparison with type 1 diabetes, he added: “The gene can be present, but it did not activate until later in life.”
Dr. Raza explained that autism develops over a period of time, and the signs of early detection vary in case of cases, such as the difficulty of maintaining visual contact. “Autism is not a unique uniform disorder. It exists on a wide spectrum, which is why we call it “TSA” (autism spectrum disorder). It can go from light to severe. “
In summary, Dr. Raza stressed that current scientific evidence greatly rejects a causal link between Panadol and Autism.
At most, there is a very thin possibility. The main point to remember, he said, is that even if it remains “safely”, Panadol – like all drugs – should not be taken unnecessarily during pregnancy.
Parents react
Some parents asked for urgent consultations, while others have rejected complaints.
A mother told L’Express PK Press Club: “I don’t think it happens because of taking Tylenol (Panadol) during pregnancy. Yes, we may take it excessively or regularly, but I don’t think so.”
She added: “I think that excessive mobile use and exposure to harmful rays can also contribute to autism, as far as I know.”
With additional reports from Noor Bhurgari.
