Does Tylenol Actually Increase Risks of Autism?

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-bottle-of-tylenol-next-to-a-bed-a9GhLAWOHxM

Edited by Jacob Rabin, Aliza Susatijo, Owen Andrews, and Sarah Ahmad

On Monday, September 22nd, President Donald Trump claimed that a link existed between pregnant women taking Tylenol and increased rates of children with autism. In response, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a professional medical organization in Washington, DC, warned against public officials making statements that affect the health of a multitude of people “without the backing of reliable data.” The ACOG cites a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found no significant associations between Tylenol use during pregnancy and children’s risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. The studies that are used as evidence for proposing a relationship between pregnant women’s acetaminophen usage and children’s development of neurodevelopmental disorders lack consideration or control for confounding variables. Acetaminophen is often used when treating or alleviating maternal fevers. However, maternal fevers and other conditions treated by acetaminophen are known as likely causes for increased risk of children developing neurodevelopmental disorders. Studies that show an association between Tylenol usage and autism do not account for these confounding variables, and without a proper consideration of such external variables, a causation cannot be proven conclusive. 

This is not the first time President Donald Trump has made bold public health claims without proper backing from science —  he has previously made claims linking certain vaccines, including the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, and an increased risk of autism. Claims of this association stem from a study published in 1998, which was later debunked and retracted in 2010. Subsequent studies following the debunked research have shown no association between the MMR vaccine and autism. Though the correlation was later disproved, President Trump continued to urge parents to make their children receive these vaccines separately rather than together. Public health officials were extremely concerned with such outlandish and misinformed claims, fearing that a rise in measles may occur again if parents are afraid to give these vaccines to their children. Even after the study was retracted, the effects of the study’s conclusions, coupled with President Trump’s warning, left some of the public still fearful of taking the MMR vaccine. Public officials, with such a wide influence, have a responsibility to not spread misinformed and unproven health claims that can influence the decisions and health of the American people. A failure of fact-checking can harm public health and create public mistrust in science and health officials.

Since public officials demand a large social media following, medically misinformed claims made on social media can lead to increased deaths and a lowered trust in medical professionals. The United States currently holds the world’s second-highest rate of misinformation. With the rise of social media, algorithms, and echo chambers, medical misinformation has only become a more prevalent issue in the United States, with only 14% of the population holding proficient health literacy. This means that a majority of the population is susceptible to medical misinformation and may be unable to recognize it, making public officials’ claims on social media more influential on people. For example, the study linking vaccines and autism, caused lasting effects even after being disproven. 20-25% of the American population still believed a link between the two variables existed. Many false medical claims utilize fear tactics, which are especially useful when making health recommendations on social media, since they lead to higher levels of attention from most people. Psychological studies show that high-fear appeals coupled with a recommendation are more effective than persuasive messages with low-fear appeals. For example, fear tactics regarding smoking via social media saw effective change among young teenagers by evoking negative emotions. A lack of fact-checking medical information is detrimental, especially as social media grows more influential. 

Restrictions against medical misinformation are currently nonexistent. The First Amendment does not have specific restrictions against spreading medical misinformation but does hold exceptions for other types of speech, including fraud, defamation, and perjury. However, not having exceptions to the First Amendment free speech rights for public officials who spread medical misinformation is extremely dangerous. The government’s goal is to promote national security and public safety, and without holding public officials to a higher standard in terms of promoting public safety, there is significant risk of harm to the American people. Government officials are not normal civilians. Rather, their influence is much greater and garners much more attention than an average person. For example, Donald Trump warned pregnant women by stating, “Don’t take Tylenol… fight like hell not to take it.” Such bold and misinformed claims are dangerous for the American public and can cause many medical consequences. As a result, public government officials should be held accountable for making false medical statements, and greater fact-checking mechanisms should be put in place to prevent bold claims from infiltrating the public. These fact-checking mechanisms can include fact checkers during live broadcasts or speeches that allow for warning pop-ups or banners on live television to inform viewers. Social media platforms can also choose to fact-check posts by public officials and flag messages that may be spreading misinformation or alter algorithms to not promote misinformed posts. There are numerous solutions that news sources and social media platforms could adapt to keep public health information accurate and safe for the public.

Politicians should be held accountable and punished for spreading medical misinformation on social media or to the public. Not only should politicians be held responsible, but the American public should work to increase their medical literacy and ensure that they conduct their own research rather than blindly believing government officials. Medical professionals should also speak out against medical misinformation to ensure that the American public is better able to disentangle scientifically proven medical truths from misinformed statements. Protecting public health and restoring public faith in scientific truth should be the government’s primary goal, and therefore government officials should be held accountable for false medical statements.