When the president of the United States is in a podium and proclaims that Tylenol, known locally as banging, gives autism in children, parents listen. His statements unleashed a wave of fear, anxiety and anguish at least in Karachi, where we report.
An autism expert at Aga Khan University was “flooded” with calls and emails of anxious mothers during the weekend after Trump information.
“Many mothers feel guilty, thinking that the autism of their children could be related to medications taken during pregnancy,” said associated professor Dr. Sidra Kaleem, one of the few pediatricians in the development of Pakistan and the director of the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at the Hospital of the University of Aga Khan.
“It is important to understand the difference between causality and association,” he emphasized. Some studies have observed children who develop autism after their mothers took bangs during pregnancy, others not. “This shows that taking Bango does not guarantee that a child develops autism,” he said.
Autism is largely a condition, with genetic and environmental factors that contribute. “Vaccines do not cause autism,” he added by way of comparison. “We have seen children with autism from areas where vaccination programs do not exist.”
Autism manifests itself as difficulties in social communication, repetitive behaviors and challenges to understand social norms, especially when these signs appear in early childhood.
“Tylenol is still one of the safest analgesics for pregnant women, and using it when necessary is not a risk factor for autism,” said Dr. Sidra.
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What did Trump say?
Banadol, widely prescribed to pregnant women for fevers and minor pain, is considered one of the “safer” options during pregnancy. Acetaminophen, known worldwide as’ Tylenol ‘or’ banging “, is the same medication used to treat pain and fever.
Speaking in an informative session of the White House about the investigation of autism, President Donald Trump said the Food and Medicines Administration would notify doctors that the prenatal use of acetaminophen “can be associated with a higher risk of autism.”
Scientists react to Trump
An important non -profit organization based in the US. UU. Centered on autism, Autism speaksHe issued this statement: “We urge the resources of the administration dedicated to advance in new and innovative research areas, so the community benefits from new ideas, instead of visiting questions that have been well studied, including vaccines and autism.”
WHO and European regulators have also intervened. “Neither acetaminophen (Tylenol/Banadol) nor vaccines have shown that they cause autism,” said spokesman Tarik Jasarevic, noting that some observation studies suggested a possible association but that the evidence remains inconsistent.
The medical experts and the parent company of Tylenol, Kenvue, dismissed Trump’s claims. “Independent science clearly shows acetaminophen does not cause autism,” a spokesman told People magazine.
Dr. Karam Radwan, director of the Neurode Development Clinic -Uchicago Medicine Development, 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 Medical Care Products of the United Kingdom (MHRA) echoed this tranquility, stating: “Patient safety is our highest priority. There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.”
WHO and MHRA clarified even more than autism occurs even in areas without vaccination programs, which reinforces that vaccines do not cause the condition, and in a similar way, there is no evidence that bakery (acetaminophen) taken during pregnancy causes autism.
‘We can’t draw radical conclusions’
The head of the Sindh Institute of Children’s Health and Neonatology, said Professor Dr. Syed Jamal Raza. The express trusteeIt is difficult to establish a clear link between analgesic and autism.
“If we speak particularly of banging, we must ask ourselves why mothers are taking it during pregnancy first.
He stressed that when all the factors are considered, there is still no evidence to suggest that banging causes autism. “Other factors, such as environmental influences or excessive screen time, can also play a role. We cannot draw radical conclusions from the way Trump.
When asked what really causes autism, Dr. Raza said there is not a single reason. “Autism is a multifactor disorder. There is no gene directly linked to it. What we know is that there may be a genetic predisposition, which is then triggered by environmental factors.”
Clarifying even more, he added that autism has a very high inheritability rate, and about 5-10% of cases result from single gene disorders. Abnormalities in brain development also play a role, along with environmental influences.
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Drawing a comparison with type 1 diabetes, he added: “The gene can be present, but only activates later in life.”
Dr. Raza explained that autism develops for a period of time, and early detection signs vary the case of the case, such as the difficulty in maintaining visual contact. “Autism is not a unique and uniform disorder. It exists in a broad spectrum, so we call it ‘ASD’ (autistic spectrum disorder). It can vary from slight to serious.”
In short, Dr. Raza emphasized that current scientific evidence strongly rejects a causal bond between bangadol and autism.
At most, there is a very scarce possibility. The main conclusion, he said, is that, although it is still “sure when necessary”, bang, like all medications, it should not be taken unnecessarily during pregnancy.
The parents react
Some parents sought urgent consultations, while others dismissed the claims.
A mother told Express PAkGazette: “I don’t think it happens because Tylenol (banging) takes during pregnancy. Yes, it is possible if we take it excessively or routinely, but I don’t believe it.”
She added: “I feel that excessive mobile use and exposure to harmful rays can also contribute to autism, which I know.”
With additional reports from Noor Bhurgari.
