'During the press conference, officials pointed to a study done by Harvard University and other researchers that found that women who reported taking acetaminophen while they were pregnant seemed to be slightly more likely to have a child who was later diagnosed with autism.
One of the researchers on that study was Ann Bauer, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts. Bauer said she thinks pregnant women should be told about a possible risk from acetaminophen. But the researcher also was worried that it might be too soon to have the federal government offering guidance on its use.
"I'm a little concerned about how this message is going to come because I think they may be jumping the gun," Bauer said before the announcement was made. "I think those of us in the research community would like to see stronger evidence."
Many physicians and autism advocacy groups said they opposed the administration's stance.
"It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data," Steven J. Fleischman, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a written statement.
Even the notice about acetaminophen issued to physicians by the Food and Drug Administration pointed out that a possible link to autism was an area of ongoing scientific debate, and said that "while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature."
Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the agency that sets policy for Medicare and Medicaid, pledged to change the indication on a medication called leucovorin as a treatment for autism, despite scant evidence that this form of vitamin B has any effect.
In response to that change, the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement opposing the administration's suggestion that vaccines cause autism, adding that leucovorin (folinic acid) is not recommended to treat autism, adding "it will require many more years of research before we know if leucovorin is an appropriate treatment for individuals with autism."'
One of the researchers on that study was Ann Bauer, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts. Bauer said she thinks pregnant women should be told about a possible risk from acetaminophen. But the researcher also was worried that it might be too soon to have the federal government offering guidance on its use.
"I'm a little concerned about how this message is going to come because I think they may be jumping the gun," Bauer said before the announcement was made. "I think those of us in the research community would like to see stronger evidence."
Many physicians and autism advocacy groups said they opposed the administration's stance.
"It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data," Steven J. Fleischman, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a written statement.
Even the notice about acetaminophen issued to physicians by the Food and Drug Administration pointed out that a possible link to autism was an area of ongoing scientific debate, and said that "while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature."
Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the agency that sets policy for Medicare and Medicaid, pledged to change the indication on a medication called leucovorin as a treatment for autism, despite scant evidence that this form of vitamin B has any effect.
In response to that change, the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement opposing the administration's suggestion that vaccines cause autism, adding that leucovorin (folinic acid) is not recommended to treat autism, adding "it will require many more years of research before we know if leucovorin is an appropriate treatment for individuals with autism."'
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