Record of Being Deemed "Unreliable" in Related Trials
Concerns have been raised that the expert cited by U.S. President Donald Trump as evidence for his claim that taking Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of autism had previously given unreliable testimony in court.
According to the New York Times on September 23 (local time), the Trump administration issued a warning the previous day about the risk of autism associated with acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, citing the expertise of Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The research team led by Dean Baccarelli analyzed 46 existing studies on the association between acetaminophen and autism, and last month announced that "the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders." This served as a strong basis for President Trump's press conference the previous day, in which he stated that pregnant women should not take Tylenol. Authorities have consistently introduced Dean Baccarelli as a leading expert in press conferences, interviews, and on social media.
However, Dean Baccarelli has previously been at the center of controversy for giving 'unreliable' testimony in related court cases. In 2023, he appeared as a witness for the plaintiffs in lawsuits filed by families who claimed that their children were diagnosed with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after the mothers took Tylenol during pregnancy, suing pharmaceutical companies and others.
At the time, the judge dismissed the lawsuits, stating that the plaintiffs' claims lacked credible scientific evidence and specifically took issue with Baccarelli's testimony. The judge wrote, "The content discussed in his report is incomplete, biased, and at times misleading. Overall, Dr. Baccarelli downplays studies that weaken his claims of causality and emphasizes those that support his position," concluding that his testimony was "unreliable."
Following the Trump administration's announcement that Tylenol increases the likelihood of giving birth to a child with autism, several medical organizations have criticized the administration for causing significant confusion among pregnant women with conclusions that lack scientific basis.
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