Tylenol? Try Dad. Parents have a tongue-in-cheek response to autism claims.

Monday’s claim by President Trump that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy is linked to a “very increased risk of autism” left medical and autism communities reeling. While Trump announced that the Food and Drug Administration is “strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” medical organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics are pushing back, saying robust data suggests that Tylenol use during pregnancy is safe.

Many parents in the autism community are taking to social media to express their frustration that the administration has tried to pin a complex disorder on something as simple as taking acetaminophen, while blaming moms in the process. But others — both parents of autistic children and those trying to conceive — have used this as an opportunity to find some humor in the situation: They’re posting TikToks highlighting their own quirks or their partner’s as a tongue-in-cheek way of showing how autism runs in families.

“Do I think vaccines caused my child’s autism? No, no, I do not,” says therapist Kristen Gingrich in one TikTok video. “Do I think making a choice to procreate with a man whose shirts I have to buy in packs of five from the same brand in the same color scheme in the same style with the same fabric to make sure that they fit just exactly the same as the ones he is getting rid of [may be linked]? Yes, yes I do.”

Plenty of people in the comments could relate. “Youngest got diagnosed first … then our middle child …then our oldest … followed by both my wife and I,” one person wrote. Another commented: “My husband wears the exact same uniform to work every day … his company doesn’t have uniforms … he created his own … something tells me I have identified the culprit.”

Some adult children are even getting in on the trend, pointing out that their parents follow the same strict routines or they’re obsessed with one particular topic, like collectible miniature race cars. It resonated with several adult children in the comments. One wrote: “My dad with animal facts … To this day — I am 30 — we text each other animal facts every day and he doesn’t realize that’s not normal, bless him.”

Other parents are finding humor in simply pointing out that their child has autism due to the fact that it’s in their genes. “I am very proud to say that I did, in fact, cause my son’s autism,” says TikTok user acadianagrande in her post. “Not by taking Tylenol, not by getting him vaccinated, but by being, um, me and having a baby with his dad.”

Fellow poster @life_with_the_bacas wrote over a video of herself, “I can’t blame Tylenol for causing my child’s autism because I never took Tylenol. But I can blame my husband’s genetics.”

People who are trying to conceive are joining in as well. TikToker poutinesmom posted a video that said: “Me knowing I’m safe to take Tylenol when I get pregnant bc my husband already has a scrapbook he made of his favorite vacuums.”

There are a lot of things that can cause autism

While doctors agree that Tylenol is not the cause of autism, they also tell Yahoo that genetics aren’t the only factor involved in whether someone develops autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — a broad range of conditions that impact behavior and communication, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). About 3% of children in the United States have been diagnosed with autism.

The exact cause of autism hasn’t been pinpointed, but researchers have found common genetic variations in people with ASD, which suggests a genetic link, according to the NIEHS. “It is highly inheritable, and there is some truth to what people are saying in terms of children with autism having a relative or parent with similar presentations,” Dr. Consuelo Corazon Cagande-Maestrado, a child and adult psychiatrist at Northwell Health who treats people with autism spectrum disorder, tells Yahoo. “But we know there are other factors.”

“The last 40 years of research has conclusively shown that there’s a substantial genetic component, just like there is for most human health conditions,” Dr. Daniel Geschwind, professor of neurology, psychiatry and human genetics at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, tells Yahoo. He cites a recent JAMA Psychiatry study that found the odds of inheriting autism is estimated to be as high as 80% and that another 15% are likely due to genetic mutations. “You add those up, and genetic factors can explain approximately 95% of the population risk for autism,” he says.

While some research, including a recent study published in BMC Environmental Health, has found an association between acetaminophen use and neurodevelopment disorders, including autism, the study’s authors did not state that acetaminophen causes autism. “There’s no strong evidence that Tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism,” Cagande-Maestrado says. “We always say in science that association does not mean causation.” (A common example of this is how shark attacks and eating ice cream both increase in the summer, but eating ice cream does not cause shark attacks.)

Cagande-Maestrado also stresses that no link has been found between autism and vaccines, including ones that contain thimerosal, a mercury-based compound. (That’s something the NIEHS confirms as well.)

However, certain environmental factors may raise the risk of someone developing autism, including having older parents, prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides, maternal obesity, diabetes or immune system disorder, being born extremely premature or the baby’s being deprived of oxygen during delivery, according to the NIEHS.

“Those who are already genetically predisposed to autism may have an increased risk when they’re exposed to these factors,” Cagande-Maestrado says. “But autism really presents in different degrees. We don’t know the true cause, but there are risk factors.”

Whether you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant or have a child with autism, Cagande-Maestrado recommends getting medical advice from health care providers and asking them any questions you may have. “Of course, it’s an anxiety-provoking situation when you have people making these comments,” she says. “But the evidence linking Tylenol to autism is really not there.”

Source