Decoding the paracetamol-autism controversy

A few weeks ago, U.S. president Donald Trump made a startling announcement: he said using the common painkiller paracetamol, or acetaminophen, known as Tylenol in the U.S. during pregnancy, could cause autism in the baby. This announcement came after earlier this year, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic, announced a massive testing and research effort to identify the “environmental toxins” that he said were behind the growing “epidemic” of autism in the U.S.

It is true that more cases of autism are being reported now than in previous decades, and this is the case in several countries including India.

But is autism actually caused by Paracetamol use? Why are cases on the rise? And how much do we actually know about genetic and environmental factors that contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders?

Guest: Dr. Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy, neuropsychiatrist and founder, Buddhi Clinic, Chennai.

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

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