Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.), a gastroenterologist who chairs the Senate’s well being committee, is difficult President Donald Trump’s announcement baselessly linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism and calling on the Well being and Human Companies Division to launch any proof it has on the topic.
Cassidy first addressed the president’s phrases on X, saying research don’t again up the claims he made at a clunky press conference on Monday.
“The preponderance of proof reveals that this isn’t the case,” Cassidy wrote. “The priority is that girls shall be left with no choices to handle ache in being pregnant. We have to be compassionate to this drawback.”
He added that HHS, helmed by vocal well being conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “ought to launch the brand new knowledge that it has to assist this declare.”
Cassidy’s urging got here shortly after Trump instructed pregnant ladies no less than a dozen instances: “Don’t take Tylenol,” a model title for the generic drug acetaminophen. The remarks weren’t prompted by any vital new analysis however are consistent with Kennedy’s campaign in opposition to vaccines and different types of trendy medication in his search to clarify autism, which has no single identified trigger.
Trump introduced that the Meals and Drug Administration shall be “strongly recommending that girls restrict Tylenol use throughout being pregnant until medically mandatory.”
The Louisiana Republican doubled down on his considerations throughout a Tuesday look on an area radio station. The “finest” examine on Tylenol utilization throughout being pregnant and autism doesn’t again up Trump, he told Discuss 107.3 host Brian Haldane.
“There’s an article out of Sweden ― two million individuals adopted ― and what they did is that they checked out somebody who had autism and so they in contrast them to a sibling who didn’t have autism, and so they discovered no affiliation, successfully, between taking Tylenol or not,” Cassidy identified, calling it the “highest high quality” and “finest managed” examine on the topic.
The findings Trump was referencing Monday gave the impression to be from “a examine which discovered an affiliation,” he stated. “Now that’s the important thing factor: an affiliation. That doesn’t imply it causes it; it simply implies that it’s related.”
Cassidy stated he’s already heard from one pregnant girl annoyed by Trump’s announcement.
“I used to be speaking to a lady ― she goes, ‘Oh, that is nice. Two males telling me to not take the one factor I can take when my again’s hurting and I’m pregnant,’” he stated.
“That is the drug you’re taking if you sprain your ankle and also you occur to be pregnant,” Cassidy continued.
Although Trump claimed at Monday’s press convention that there’s no “draw back” if moms abstain from Tylenol, a fever reducer, whereas pregnant, medical experts say that’s false. Untreated fevers throughout being pregnant carry the chance of elevated miscarriage, untimely delivery and potential delivery defects, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) warns.
Cassidy added that an OB/GYN will in all probability inform sufferers it’s “secure” to take acetaminophen.
Cassidy publicly wavered on advancing Kennedy’s nomination out of his committee for a full Senate vote, saying he was struggling with the choice as a result of he’s had sufferers who’ve suffered severe, lifelong well being outcomes as a result of they weren’t vaccinated. However he in the end sided with the remainder of the Republicans on the committee, advancing Kennedy with a 14-13 vote.
Final month, Cassidy went on to criticize Kennedy for canceling a $500 million funding in vaccine analysis.
“It’s unlucky that the secretary simply canceled a half a billion value of labor, losing the cash which is already invested,” he stated.
