According to a report from The Washington Post, US authorities are reportedly preparing to issue an official statement regarding a potential link between pregnant women`s consumption of acetaminophen (paracetamol) and an elevated risk of autism spectrum disorder in their children. This announcement follows new research and is made against the backdrop of a significant increase in autism diagnoses across the United States.
Researchers reached these conclusions after conducting a series of studies, with one of the most recent being finalized in August. This initiative gained momentum after former US President Donald Trump, expressing concern over the rising rates of autism nationwide, directed his administration to investigate and formulate strategies to address the issue. Current statistics highlight an alarming trend: while in 2000, autism was diagnosed in 1 out of 150 children, it now affects 1 in 31 eight-year-olds in the U.S. Dmitry Spiridonov, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Doctis telemedicine service, shared his professional opinion on these emerging findings:
Dmitry Spiridonov, Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Doctis Telemedicine Service:
«The process of studying various pharmaceutical compounds is inherently complex and prolonged, requiring extensive research on both animals and humans before drugs are released to the market. During this phase, potential side effects can be identified, which may prevent a drug from being approved for use. However, definitively proving or disproving adverse effects once a drug is widely available often presents significant challenges. Isolated studies that suggest side effects, or theories proposing that numerous factors, including medications taken during pregnancy, could influence a patient, do not provide conclusive evidence. It`s often impossible to conduct `pure` research that isolates and tests the impact of a single factor on a pregnant individual to definitively prove or disprove its role in causing or preventing autism. Therefore, it is prudent to approach such news with a healthy degree of skepticism until these claims are either substantiated or refuted by additional, rigorous scientific investigations.»
The newspaper further reports that US officials are considering advocating for the use of leukovorin, also known as folinic acid, as a potential treatment for autism. This drug is primarily known for its application in treating intoxications and vitamin B9 deficiencies. Andrey Petrukhin, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor at the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Medical Genetics at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, offered his perspective on the potential role of this drug:
Andrey Petrukhin, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor at Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University:
«Over the past decade, we have observed a remarkable surge in the incidence of autism among children. Throughout my 50 years of medical practice, I recall that autism was once diagnosed perhaps once a year. Now, scarcely a week passes without a family presenting with an autistic child. Autism is not a disease in the conventional sense, with a clear beginning and defined outcome; it is more accurately described as a mysterious condition or disorder. Its current frequency is comparable to that of diabetes. Since neither its etiology nor its pathogenesis is fully understood, effective treatment methods and approaches remain undeveloped. In such circumstances, many pseudoscientific `sensational discoveries` emerge, linking autism to everything from paracetamol and various nutritional imbalances to gluten-free diets, with claims of improvement. To date, no substantial treatments have been developed, and I have not encountered any robust scientific literature proposing such approaches. Despite significant advancements in molecular-genetic diagnostics and neuroimaging, I have yet to see any serious research supporting these claims, and I do not anticipate definitive findings in the near future.»
The Washington Post also points out that experts advise caution against drawing premature conclusions regarding the potential harm of paracetamol, emphasizing that conducting precise and conclusive research requires a considerable amount of time. The newspaper noted that Robert Kennedy Jr., a prominent figure in the U.S. Department of Health, had previously suggested a link between vaccines and autism in children, a claim that contradicts decades of established scientific research.
