Minnesota's U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) is slamming claims coming from the White House about Tylenol use causing autism.
A briefing from President Donald Trump and Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy this week claimed pregnant women should stay away from Tylenol due to possible link to autism.
Klobuchar warned that the public needs to listen to the experts on this issue - not what is coming from the administration.
"I am very concerned about this," Klobuchar said Tuesday while speaking to reporters at MSP Airport. "Minnesota is the home of so many great doctors and nurses, and when you look at what the obstetricians nationally, the American Academy, have said and gynecologists, they have put out a major warning on this decision. Because there's just not scientific evidence and there may be many reasons you want to take Tylenol."
Klobuchar says women need to listen to their doctors.
"It just doesn't line up with what the president has said when it comes to Tylenol," said the senator. "And I just always believe in listening to the medical experts because politicians always like to say, 'I know better, I know better.' But in the end, the only way you can make some good decisions, whether it's about measles, which sadly is coming back, and I strongly believe in the measles vaccine or whether it is Tylenol, you've got to listen to science."
A University of Minnesota neuroscience professor was also not happy about about the claims of a link between autism and women taking Tylenol when pregnant. Doctor Amy Esler spoke to the WCCO Morning News on Tuesday.
"Probably a mix of disappointment and frustration," said Esler. "We have been working really hard for many decades, identifying what the real causes of autism are, and that news conference, I feel really set us back."
Dr. Esler admits there are studies that show such a link, but notes that those studies don't take into account the reasons a pregnant woman would take Tylenol.
"Those reasons could really be what's associated with autism rather than the Tylenol, so things like infections that we know have been associated with autism, pain from autoimmune disease," she says.
She also pointed to a large study in Sweden that did take into account those factors, and found no connection between Tylonol and autism.
"One of the comments (Monday) at the news conference was that this work on genetics has not been fruitful," Esler explains. "Well, the fact of the matter is 60-90% of autism cases are accounted for by genetics, and there's nothing moms can do during pregnancy to change the genetics."
Klobuchar weighs-in on Kimmel controversy
Responding to another controversy tied to the White House, Klobuchar also weighed in on Jimmy Kimmel‘s return to late night television after a suspension from ABC.
That suspension came in light of pressure from the FCC and the Trump administration over comments about Charlie Kirk, who was killed at an event in Utah.
Klobuchar says it is a question of free speech, and said she was happy to see some on the right back the First Amendment.
"I was actually pleasantly surprised when like people like Ted Cruz (R- TX) and Mitch McConnell (R- KY) joined Democrats and said, you know what, you can't do this," Klobuchar added. "There is freedom of speech in this country and I think that's what this is about."