Some Pregnant Women Slam ‘Fearmongering’ Over Tylenol
Several expectant moms who spoke to The Wall Street Journal said they are confident that using Tylenol is safe during pregnancy. However, the Trump administration's push against it has now left some with "that little question mark.”
The Wall Street Journal:
Pregnant Women On How They Feel About Taking Tylenol Now
Nikki Bruner had generally avoided taking medication during pregnancy, but if other remedies didn’t sufficiently treat a severe headache, the first-time mother had no qualms about taking Tylenol. Then President Trump warned that doing so could cause autism. “I appreciated the inquiry into it,” said Bruner, who works for a startup. “But the other reaction was: OK, what’s the actual science here?” (Siddiqui, 10/13)
Politico:
RFK Jr.’s Got Advice For Pregnant Women. There’s Limited Data To Support It
The uproar over the Trump administration’s efforts to discourage pregnant women from taking Tylenol is highlighting a bigger problem: There has never been adequate data on the safety and effectiveness of many drugs during pregnancy, and that data became even harder to gather after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Medical experts and women’s health advocates warn that state abortion bans are exacerbating longstanding barriers to including women of reproductive age in drug trials and other health studies, as both scientists and participating women could face new legal consequences if a drug harms a fetus. (Ollstein, 10/11)
The Hill:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Accuses Media Of Distorting Circumcision Remarks
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Friday that “mainstream media” had mischaracterized his remarks about circumcision and autism rates, doubling down on the Trump administration’s assertion that Tylenol could be a potential cause of the neurological and developmental disorder. In a Cabinet meeting Thursday, President Trump reiterated his personal belief that pregnant women and newborn infants shouldn’t be given acetaminophen, the active ingredient in over-the-counter Tylenol. (Choi, 10/10)
CBS News:
RFK Jr. Suggests Circumcision Is Linked To Autism. Here's What Experts Say
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested there may be a link between autism and circumcision while reasserting the unproven theory that Tylenol causes the disorder — and medical experts are pushing back against the claims. "There's two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism. It's highly likely because they are given Tylenol," Kennedy stated during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. (Moniuszko, 10/10)
Also —
Stat:
FDA Under Trump And RFK Jr.: Political Pressure Weighs On Staff
The inquiry came in August, and struck scientists at the Food and Drug Administration as highly unusual. The leader of the center that regulates prescription medicines wanted to know what they thought about leucovorin, a generic drug that’s mainly used to alleviate side effects of cancer therapies. He’d seen some promising studies and thought the agency could find a way to approve it as an autism treatment. (Lawrence, 10/14)
The Washington Post:
Pediatricians Are Key To Overcoming Vaccine Resistance, Post-KFF Poll Finds
As one of the few pediatricians in town, Nola Jean Ernest was used to fielding questions about vaccine ingredients. But even this was a new one: Could heavy metals in a hepatitis B shot give a 2-month-old boy autism? His parents saw videos on TikTok claiming they could. ... Pediatricians such as Ernest are the most trusted source of vaccine information for parents, according to a Washington Post-KFF poll, and they now play an essential role in combating rising vaccine skepticism in the United States. (Sun, Roubein and Clement, 10/10)
On the health of Donald Trump and Joe Biden —
Bloomberg:
Trump’s Doctor Says Health ‘Exceptional’ After Walter Reed Visit
President Donald Trump underwent what his physician described as a “scheduled, follow-up evaluation” at Walter Reed Medical Center, amid fresh questions about the 79-year-old leader’s health. Sean Barbabella, a US Navy captain and physician to the president, pronounced him in “excellent overall health,” according to a one-page summary memo released by the White House. Trump, he said, can “maintain a demanding daily schedule without restriction.” (Lucey and Dlouhy, 10/11)
CBS News:
Former President Joe Biden Undergoing Radiation Therapy For Prostate Cancer, Spokesperson Says
Former President Joe Biden is undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment as part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, a spokesperson told CBS News. A person close to Biden tells CBS News the former president is doing well and responding to treatment. Another person familiar with Biden's treatment said it began "a few weeks ago and it continues." He is being treated in Philadelphia. (Breen, 10/11)
