VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Autism Advisory Council (AAC) has urged caution after US President Donald Trump claimed doctors will soon be advised against prescribing Tylenol, the US brand name for paracetamol, over alleged links to autism.
Trump’s statement was swiftly disputed by medical experts, health officials and doctors, who said there is no clear evidence connecting paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism.
In Malta, the AAC noted that while studies have raised questions, none prove a direct causal link. They stressed that the fact some women used paracetamol in pregnancy and later had children with autism does not establish causation without consistent data.
The council cited a Harvard/Mount Sinai review of 46 studies, where only 27 showed “some kind of association.” Researchers concluded the results were too inconsistent to draw conclusions, with the lead author comparing the correlation to ice cream sales and crime rates rising together in summer.
The AAC also reminded that the European Medicines Agency has not changed its official guidance on paracetamol use during pregnancy.
Presenting unproven theories as fact is “unprofessional and unfair,” the AAC said, warning such claims could burden mothers with unnecessary guilt.
The council also addressed ongoing discussions about leucovorin, a supplement currently restricted to chemotherapy patients in Malta. While some research suggests it may improve speech in minimally verbal children with autism, the AAC said findings remain “early and anecdotal.”
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