Doctor adamant no causal link between Tylenol and autism

Doctor adamant no causal link between Tylenol and autism

SHELF LIFE OF 3 TO 5 YEARS. ANXIETY OVER ACETAMINOPHEN. MORE PARENTS ARE ASKING PEDIATRICIANS IS THE DRUG, WHICH GOES BY THE BRAND NAME TYLENOL STILL SAFE TO GIVE MY KIDS? WITH ANSWERS IS DOCTOR SCOTT HADLAND, CHIEF OF ADOLESCENT MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM. SO, OKAY, IT’S BEEN NEARLY TWO WEEKS SINCE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLAIMED THIS LINK BETWEEN ACETAMINOPHEN AND AUTISM. SO WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE REACTION YOU’VE SEEN IN YOUR OFFICE? WELL, THE REACTION THAT I’VE HAD THAT MANY PATIENTS HAVE HAD, FAMILIES HAVE HAD, AND THAT MANY OTHER DOCTORS HAVE HAD IS REALLY ONE OF BEWILDERMENT. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR DOCTORS LIKE ME WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THESE STUDIES AND I, I DID READ THEM AGAIN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS JUST TO MAKE SURE I’M NOT MISSING SOMETHING. IT IS CLEAR, BASED ON THE STUDIES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THAT THERE IS NOT A CLEAR CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN TYLENOL AND AUTISM, MEANING THAT THERE IS NOT A STRONG SUGGESTION THAT TYLENOL CAUSES AUTISM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS MATCH IS ON TO WHAT WE SEE IN OUR CLINIC, RIGHT? AND THAT MANY FAMILIES HAVE EXPERIENCED AND THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I CARRY FOR MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE AUTISM, WHOSE PARENTS, YOU KNOW, NEVER TOOK TYLENOL WHILE PREGNANT. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO TAKE TYLENOL DURING PREGNANCY ARE GOING TO GO ON TO HAVE A CHILD WHO DOESN’T HAVE AUTISM. SO IT’S REALLY IN THIS CONTEXT THAT A NUMBER OF MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGISTS, THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH HAVE ALL MADE STATEMENTS THAT TYLENOL REMAINS SAFE BOTH DURING PREGNANCY AND FOR YOUNG KIDS. SO WE’RE ABOUT TO ENTER FLU SEASON. IF ONE OF YOUR PATIENTS DEVELOPS A FEVER, WILL YOU RECOMMEND TYLENOL? OR WOULD YOU SAY MAYBE TAKE SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE LIKE IBUPROFEN? WELL, YOU KNOW, BOTH ARE VERY EFFECTIVE. IBUPROFEN AND TYLENOL. I WILL RECOMMEND TYLENOL, RIGHT? SO AS A DOCTOR, ANYTIME I’M RECOMMENDING A MEDICATION OR ANY TREATMENT, I’M ALWAYS BALANCING THE BENEFITS AND THE RISKS. AND WE KNOW THAT THE BENEFITS OF TREATING A FEVER ARE QUITE SIGNIFICANT. THEY BRING A LOT OF COMFORT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHERWISE SUFFERING. ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE RISKS OF TYLENOL, IT’S CLEAR BASED ON DECADES OF RESEARCH, THAT TYLENOL IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AND DOESN’T HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS, THAT WE NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT. AND, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS RECOMMEND THE LOWEST NEEDED DOSE FOR THE SHORTEST PERIOD OF TIME FOR ANY PATIENT. AND I’LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR TYLENOL. AND WHEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MADE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THE PRESIDENT IN FACT SAID PREGNANT WOMEN TOUGH IT OUT. I MEAN, THAT MESSAGE IS ONE THING. AND THEN YOU TAKE IT TO KIDS. IS THERE EVER A TIME TO KIND OF TOUGH IT OUT? IS THERE A RISK OF NOT TREATING A FEVER? WELL, LOOK, SO, YOU KNOW, I’M A PEDIATRICIAN AND A DAD. WHEN MY KIDS HAVE A FEVER, I PROVIDE THEM TYLENOL. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT IT EASES THEIR DISCOMFORT. RIGHT. SO KIDS WHO ARE UNCOMFORTABLE ARE UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT KIDS NEED TO DO, INCLUDING GET SLEEP AT NIGHT OR ENJOY THEIR ACTIVITIES DURING THE DAY, OR DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN GET OFF THE SOFA OR GET OUT OF BED. RIGHT. AND THAT’S DISRUPTIVE FOR NOT JUST KIDS, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR PARENTS WHO HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THEM. SO I DO RECOMMEND TYLENOL AS A WAY TO EASE FEVER. AND, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING THAT WE KNOW IS THAT MANY KIDS AND WE SEE THIS ALL THE TIME IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT THE HOSPITAL, KIDS WHO HAVE FEVERS DON’T EAT AND DRINK AND RUN THE RISK OF DEHYDRATION. SO THERE ARE SOME VERY SERIOUS THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IF A CHILD HAS A FEVER THAT GOES UNTREATED. ALL RIGHT. GOOD ADVICE, DOCTOR HATLEN. THAN

Dr. Scott Hadland, Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Mass General for Children, says Tylenol is safe to take despite President Trump, RFK’s skepticism.

BOSTON —

Dr. Scott Hadland, Chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Mass General for Children, says Tylenol is safe to take despite President Trump, RFK’s skepticism.

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