Donald Trump linking autism with paracetamol use during pregnancy may impact Australian parents of children with the neurodevelopmental condition, an expert says.
Flanked by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US president linked autism to the use of over-the-counter pain medication Tylenol, which is an American brand of paracetamol and called Panadol in Australia.
"We have worked so hard to increase awareness and to break down stigma, to encourage families to reach out and to seek support," said child psychologist Tanya Forster, whose six-year-old boy has autism.
"To make such a declaration in a position like that on a world stage really is a setback for the work that we've done, and does nothing but create a lot of anxiety for families."
A parenting expert and the chief executive of Macquarie Health Collective, Ms Forster fears some parents may believe Mr Trump and worry that they caused their children's autism, leading to potential self-criticism and blame.
"That's something that parents struggle with enough," she said.
Mr Trump's assertion was unfounded and could cause distress and confusion in the community, according to the Australian Association of Psychologists.
"These unsubstantiated claims seem to be placing the blame on parents for taking an everyday medication that has proven to be safe,” the peak body's chief services officer Amanda Curran said.
“Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference, not a disease or deficit to be feared or prevented."
The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Tuesday joined other medicines regulators, leading clinicians and scientists worldwide in declaring “robust scientific evidence” showed no causal link between the use of paracetamol in pregnancy and autism or ADHD.
"Paracetamol remains the recommended treatment option for pain or fever in pregnant women when used as directed," it said.
"The TGA has no current active safety investigations for paracetamol and autism, or paracetamol and neurodevelopmental disorders more broadly."
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