Donald Trump has once again shared his thoughts on the health practices of Americans, offering unexpected advice to pregnant women concerning their use of specific medications.
The former US President, lacking formal medical training, took to Truth Social to advise pregnant women to avoid Tylenol and suggested limiting its use in young children.
Additionally, he provided guidance on a revised vaccine schedule, reflecting changes announced by the Department of Health on Monday, which significantly reduces the number of shots recommended for children.
In his post, written in bold capital letters, he stated: “Pregnant Women, DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON, BREAK UP THE MMR SHOT INTO THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS (NOT MIXED!), TAKE CHICKEN P SHOT SEPARATELY, TAKE HEPATITAS B SHOT AT 12 YEARS OLD, OR OLDER, AND, IMPORTANTLY, TAKE VACCINE IN 5 SEPARATE MEDICAL VISITS! President DJT”
The contentious advice about Tylenol has become a divisive issue for parents recently, largely due to claims suggesting a possible link between the common drug and conditions such as ADHD and Autism.
The FDA has stated: “Evidence in recent years has suggested a correlation between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and subsequent diagnosis of conditions like autism and ADHD. Multiple large-scale cohort studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Boston Birth Cohort, find this association.”
However, despite detecting a correlation, there is no evidence of causation. The FDA adds: “It is important to note that while an association between acetaminophen and neurological conditions has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature.
“It is also noted that acetaminophen is the only over-the-counter drug approved for use to treat fevers during pregnancy, and high fevers in pregnant women can pose a risk to their children.”
Major medical and regulatory organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the UK’s NHS and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), concur there is no definitive evidence suggesting Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol) is unsafe during pregnancy when used appropriately.
It remains the recommended choice for pain relief and fever reduction during pregnancy.
This recent post is not the first instance in which Trump has suggested limiting Tylenol use, as he previously made a similar recommendation in September, causing concern among health experts.
Trump informed the American public that the FDA is reportedly advising pregnant women to ‘limit Tylenol use’ and suggested the medication is linked to the ‘meteoric rise’ in autism cases—an assertion denied by the drug manufacturer.
He mentioned that previously, one in 10,000 children was diagnosed with autism, but this figure has now significantly increased to one in 31 children.
“There are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills, that have no autism,” the former president also claimed.
While the FDA still permits Tylenol use as needed and encourages parents to make informed decisions, Trump advised against its use entirely.
“Ideally, you don’t take it at all, but if you have to, if you can’t tough it out, if there’s a problem, you’re going to end up doing it,” the 79-year-old stated.
The warning about Tylenol coincided with an announcement concerning a new revised vaccine schedule, aligning the US more closely with Europe’s routine dosing schedules for individuals under 18.
As per the CDC, the updated recommendation for all children includes vaccines for: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella (chickenpox). The first three are typically administered as one vaccine.
A second category of vaccines is suggested for children based on individual risk factors. These include vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue, and meningococcal ACWY and meningococcal B – which guard against meningitis.
The third group of vaccines for Covid-19, influenza, and rotavirus is left to the discretion of parents and doctors.