Trump's New Science: Paracetamol Causes Autism

Paracetamol is the cause of autism, and folic acid is the cure: this is the sensational announcement, from the perspective of science reviewed and corrected by the Trump administration, in accordance with Secretary of State Kennedy's wishes. Looking at it from a different perspective, a small step forward has been made by the anti-vaxxer movement that elevated Kennedy to the position of US Secretary of Health: vaccines are no longer the cause of autism, a mantra they have continued to repeat despite the abundant scientific evidence, the crowning glory of which is that autism spectrum disorder develops during pregnancy, not afterward. And so, here's another monster to blame: paracetamol. Misrepresenting and stretching a review conducted last August of 46 studies by Mount Sinai and a Harvard University researcher, President Trump claimed they had found "the answer to autism." But that review cites a possible association, not a direct causation, between acetaminophen abuse during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. The scientific community considers acetaminophen use safe in pregnant women at the recommended doses. And it's used by at least half of pregnant women, which doesn't correspond to the number of people born with autism, which involves about a hundred genes. The other part of the announcement is that folic acid is a cure for the autistic condition: again, this is based on small, very early studies.