This week, President Trump and his head of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy, Jr., announced they’ve determined that Tylenol taken during pregnancy may cause autism.

Rates of autism diagnoses have been rising dramatically over the last 70 years—about the same time period that acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been on the market.

The problem is that there does NOT seem to be conclusive scientific proof that intermittent Tylenol use during pregnancy definitively causes autism. In fact, there is no definitive evidence that ANY one specific factor causes autism. Worse yet, unmitigated fever in pregnant women can cause serious medical issues. Tylenol is one of the few medications pregnant women can take to treat fever that will be unlikely to harm the developing fetus. Aspirin and ibuprofen are not allowed.

Almost 30 years ago, a paper was published that asserted that the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine caused autism. This research has been debunked numerous times—yet there are some people who still avoid vaccinating their kids, even as measles infections (which can be deadly to young children) have surged recently.

Here’s what seems to be misunderstood: Two things can happen simultaneously. That doesn’t mean they are connected. And even if they are connected, it doesn’t necessarily mean one definitively causes the other.

It turns out autism is often diagnosed at about the same age that infants receive their first MMR shots. But that does not mean the shots are the cause. Millions of kids get MMR shots and don’t develop autism. Millions of pregnant women took Tylenol during pregnancy (I know I did!) and don’t have kids with autism.

Lots of other factors have grown significantly over the last 70 years—such as the use of technology in the home (TV, cell phones, internet, microwave ovens, electric cars, etc.). Should we blame one of these for the rise of autism too?

But there’s one factor we can’t easily dismiss: medical technology. That’s not to say modern medical technology causes autism (or vice versa!). But we now are able to diagnose many chronic diseases much earlier and to recognize and treat medical issues our grandparents didn’t know existed.

Therefore, there IS a correlation between medical advances and autism. Unfortunately, the fact that this is not understood by government officials is likely to be the cause of much distress for pregnant women, parents of young children, and anyone who cares for autistic family members.

That kind of correlation we’d be better off without.

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