Lead autism researcher on White House claims

That politician? President Donald Trump. Thank you very much. Don't take Tylenol.

The maker of Tylenol, Kenvue, in a statement to CBS News, said, "independent sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism." Ahlqvist explained Sweden's sweeping study of pregnant women who took the drug. We have the unique opportunity to connect all of the health records for the entire population. And during antenatal visits in Sweden, the mother self-report their consumption, and we can also track prescription data.

In total, the study tracked 2.5 million pregnancies, following each child through time from 1995 to 2019, meaning data stretches back about 25 years. That is not a small-- a small base. No, it is the world's largest study on this topic.

The study found autism rates were 0.09% higher compared to pregnant mothers who did not take acetaminophen. Is that enough for anyone to rationally say, look, see, there is a link? Definitely not.

The Trump administration cited a Mount Sinai and Harvard analysis of nearly 50 past studies to back their claim. That review supported evidence of an association, but not causation. When I hear Mount Sinai, when I hear Harvard, I feel, I think, trust. If you want to propose an alternative theory, the best way to do that is to package it under the umbrella of esteemed institutions, to give it credibility. You'll be uncomfortable. It won't be as easy, maybe.

And President Trump told pregnant women to endure the pain or fever. Just pushing through pain and pushing through disease is not what we usually recommend in evidence-based medicine. Ultimately, what is the connection between acetaminophen and autism? There is no such connection. And one thing that confounds, truly confounds, Ahlqvist is why the White House decided to use smaller scale studies and not Sweden's. He thinks the Trump administration is trying, in his words, to stir up a narrative where there is some hesitance to medication or to establishment science. And he said that if he could meet the president, he would tell him, you have misunderstood the evidence. Please talk to the experts, instead. Errol.

A very important fact check. Ramy, thank you for that.