Title: Trump's Tylenol Comments Spark Concerns Over Autism Misinformation

TORONTO - U.S. President Donald Trump's recent comments urging pregnant women to avoid Tylenol due to an unproven link to autism have reignited discussions about the harmful practice of blaming mothers for their children's developmental disorders. Julie Green, a mother from Kingston, Ontario, reflected on her own experiences from over a decade ago when her son was diagnosed with autism. "It seemed like every couple of months there was some new headline. And there was still a lot of like, 'Oh, did mom do this? Did mom do that?'" she said.

Green, whose son is now nearly 17, recalled the anxiety that accompanied her pregnancy. "You question absolutely everything," she added. She even worried that her cravings for fast food might have contributed to her son's condition.

Experts emphasize that there is no single cause of autism spectrum disorder, with genetics playing a significant role. Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, a pediatric neurologist and co-lead of the Autism Research Centre at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, stated that extensive research has shown no link between Tylenol and autism.

Anagnostou criticized Trump's comments, calling them a harmful reminder of the outdated "refrigerator mother" theory, which wrongly suggested that autism stemmed from a lack of maternal affection. This theory dominated psychiatric thought from the 1940s until it was debunked decades later.

Following Trump's remarks, Anagnostou's center received numerous inquiries from anxious parents worried about their use of Tylenol during pregnancy. "We cannot be irresponsible and talk about exposures during pregnancy and blame moms for the generation of neurodevelopmental conditions when we know them to be highly genetic," she said.

Dr. Karen Wou, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre, noted that Tylenol is one of the few safe medications available to pregnant women. "The science is very clear about this topic. It is safe when it is used for the indication that it’s used for in the lowest dose in the lowest time possible," Wou explained.

She warned that not taking Tylenol when needed could lead to serious complications, including preterm delivery and increased maternal anxiety and depression, which can negatively impact pregnancy outcomes.

Mothers often experience guilt over their choices during pregnancy. Voula Athanasopoulos, whose son is 28 and mostly non-verbal, shared her struggles with guilt, questioning her actions during pregnancy and her parenting decisions. "You compare how your pregnancy was and did you sleep enough? Were you under a lot of stress? Did you take medication?" she said.

Both Athanasopoulos and Green expressed a desire to move past guilt and focus on appreciating their children. "The what-ifs and the self-blame... it's got to stop because you need to move on and you need to live day by day," Athanasopoulos said.

Green urged mothers to trust scientific evidence and avoid falling into cycles of blame. "You’ll just get locked in these spirals of shame and it really just takes you away from accepting and loving the child you have," she said.

Experts agree that instead of searching for causes of autism, efforts should be directed toward providing evidence-based support for autistic individuals and their families.

This report highlights the ongoing challenges faced by parents of children with autism and the importance of accurate information in addressing their concerns.