'Reckless' - Sam Page slams Trump's Tylenol-autism claims
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a physician and former anesthesiologist, called U.S. President Donald Trump's recent claims linking Tylenol to autism "reckless," criticizing the president's promotion of unproven medical claims.
Page briefly discussed the matter Tuesday during a news conference mainly focused on the county's senior property tax freeze.
Trump, during a White House press conference Monday, said the Food and Drug Administration would update drug labeling to discourage pregnant women from using the common painkiller acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol), suggesting it could contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD.
“Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump said repeatedly, warning against its use for pregnant women and infants. Trump also revived long-debunked claims about vaccines contributing to rising autism rates without providing any medical evidence, according to the Associated Press.
One reporter asked Page about his thoughts on Trump's remarks, to which Page offered the following reply:
"I think what President Trump did was reckless. It's completely inconsistent with available science. If you are pregnant or have a small child who is sick, talk to you pediatrician about what medicine is appropriate, what treatment is appropriate, what diagnostic interventions are appropriate. But there is no available evidence of any significance that is compelling to indicate that Tylenol should be linked to autism. I think that's a very reckless thing to say because that [Tylenol] is a good medicine that helps a lot of people."
Autism, a complex developmental condition affecting around 1 in 31 U.S. children, has no single known cause. Experts say rhetoric, such as Trump's remarks, overlook decades of research into genetic and environmental factors that can contribute to the disorder.
