Dr. Mehmet Oz told CBS News chief, Washington’s correspondent, Major Garrett on “The Takeout” on Thursday that the Trump administration does not advise pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol under any circumstances – as President Trump Announcement this week About an alleged link between the analgesics and the fever and autism attracts medical experts.
OZ – A former surgeon and television personality who directs the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency which is under the Ministry of Health and Social Services – said that if a pregnant woman develops a strong fever, a doctor will probably encourage him to take acetaminophen, the active ingredient of Tylenol because Fevers can present health risks. And studies show that acetaminophen is the safest drug to treat fevers from pregnant women.
“The concern here is that I believe that most women get low -grade fevers, they lean their toes, they have few ailments and pain, and they think it is perfectly sure to throw a few paracetamol or acetaminophen or Tylenol when they are pregnant, and I do not think that is the case,” said Oz.
On Monday, the Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, Marty Makary, published an open letter to doctors who said that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy “may be associated with” increased risk of autism.
The letter noted that “if an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established”.
Makary’s letter was also more temperate than Mr. Trump’s comments at a press conference earlier this week in which the president said there was “no inconvenience not to take” from Tylenol.
“Acetaminophen is the most safe over -the -counter alternative during pregnancy among all analgesics and antipyretics,” wrote Makary in his letter.
The medical community is worrying that, following the announcement of the FDA, that some patients could turn to other pain drugs who have proven dangerous during pregnancy.
“You should in no case avoid taking acetaminophen if you have a fever at the start of pregnancy, if you have a headache, if you have another condition during pregnancy, we want you to take this drug,” said Dr. Steven Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told CBS News after the announcement of the FDA. “The overwhelming proof that we have seen in the past 20 years does not show causality for acetaminophen causing autism.”
In a statement in response to the announcement of the FDA, Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol, said: “Independent and solid science clearly shows that the taking of acetaminophen does not cause autism,” the calling “the option of relieving the safest pain for pregnant women if necessary throughout their pregnancy”.
Oz also discussed Makary’s announcement that the agency will approve the prescription drug Leucovorin, derived from folic acid, to treat autism in children. Specialists say Leucuvorine can be useful In the treatment of certain cases of autism, but it is not a universal remedy.
“The key question is, if you, as a researcher on these trials, had a child, would you give this Leucovorin child?” Oz said he had asked researchers who studied Leucovorine. “And when I asked the doctors of these tests, they said yes.”
Autism has become more widespread in children born in the United States in the past 25 years, according to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American, but there is no scientific consensus as to reason.
Oz said that when he, Makary and Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, were invited by the White House to examine the issue, they found two “indices”, not conclusions, which indicated Leucuvorine as a possible treatment option for autistic children and acetaminophen as a drug for pregnant women should be prudent.
“These are things we believe, that if you are fully transparent, you reconstruct confidence with the American people,” said Oz. “Just tell people what you know.”
Oz argued that Mr. Trump was right to push the FDA to approve both Leucuvorine and make his tylenol recommendation – even if there is no consensus in the medical community and no final evidence supporting one or the other of the moves – because he thinks that the FDA has an obligation to be transparent.
But Oz was clear that patients should consult their doctor before making a decision.
“The question of Tylenol is whether or not we should warn mothers, who are pregnant today, about a problem that we may not fully know the answer-” is tylenol a problem during pregnancy? ” – For another five years,” said Oz. “Well, what about the child today? Will you take Tylenol or not. Well, I think the answer is that the best prudent response, of course, take it if a doctor says you need it. But don’t take it alone without thinking about it twice.”
Oz also said that he would not advise a member of the pregnant family to take Tylenol without first speaking to his doctor.
“We are kept saying that we do not have all the answers,” he said. “But if it’s my family, I’m not going to ask my pregnant daughter to take acetaminophen if she doesn’t need to be on it without certainly talking to a doctor.”
Sara Moniuszko and Dr Céline Gounder contributed to this report.
