Yesterday, Americas Health Care System came out with a “major” announcement, claiming to have found the cause of autism.  Tylenol.  Always, parents should look at facts and examine the facts for themselves.  So to save you some time, we’ve compiled some of the information here.

Facts About Tylenol and Autism

Here’s a brief summary of what the science shows about the link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) and autism:

1. The science is mixed.  Some studies have turned out a small correlation between autism and acetaminophen use during pregnancy, others have found no link at all.  Such mixed results are far from definitive.  Research routinely produces correlations that are completely random.
2. To put things in perspective, studies have also found links between rain and autism, along with a number of other everyday variables, including altitude, sunshine, and pets.  Before you can claim a definitive causal link, we must see studies consistently produce similar results more often that not, and that hasn’t happened here.
3. The idea that Tylenol is responsible for a recent surge in autism is unlikely.  Acetaminophen is one of our oldest medications.  Pregnant women have been taking it for many decades.  If it were the cause of autism, we’d have seen a surge in the 1050’s and the 1960’s.
4. It is debatable just how much of a “surge” in autism we’re seeing.  Contrary to some claims, rates of severe autism have held steady throughout the decades.  What has been rising are diagnosis along the ‘autism spectrum,’ with a surge in so-called “high functioning” cases.  Such a surge could be caused by more sensitive screening tools, and doctors misdiagnosing normal kids who seem a bit off.  Experts still debate how much of this surge is real, and how much of it an illusion created by a more sensitive culture.
5. If there has indeed been a surge, there’s stronger research pointing to other far more likely candidates.  Chemical exposures are a prime suspect, and these keep increasing in lockstep with autism diagnoses.  Another factor: people are now having kids at much older ages, and many experts believe this alone could explain a rise in autism, since adverse pregnancy outcomes of all types increase in lockstep with parental age.
6. The bottom line: autism is a complex problem, and there are no simple answers.  I would urge pregnant women to avoid any and all drugs during pregnancy to the extent that they can, because any chemical you put into your body comes with a small risk of possible side affects.  That said, you shouldn’t sweat it if you need to pop an occasional Tylenol.

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