Amerika

Oh no! The crazy guy said crazy stuff again! What should we do? Well, first we should check his assertion about paracetamol/acetaminophen and whether or not it could cause autism in the children of mothers who take it. Luckily the research is out there.

First, consider how acetaminophen decreases glutathione, the “master antioxidant,” in the body:

These in vitro observations demonstrate that clinically relevant concentrations of acetaminophen decreased: (i) intracellular GSH in human pulmonary macrophages and type II pneumocytes and (ii) the secretion of TNF-alpha and possibly IL-6 by human pulmonary macrophages. These findings provide experimental plausibility to the challenging observations that frequent use of APAP may be a risk factor for asthma morbidity.

Next consider how autists have lower glutathione:

Recent evidence shows that subjects diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have significantly lower levels of glutathione than typically developing children.

And finally, tie them together with a bit of research on how glutathione redox imbalance contributes to autism:

The role of glutathione in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is emerging as a major topic, due to its role in the maintenance of the intracellular redox balance. Several studies have implicated glutathione redox imbalance as a leading factor in ASD, and both ASD and many other neurodevelopmental disorders involve low levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), high levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and abnormalities in the expressions of glutathione-related enzymes in the blood or brain.

Then consider how much the physical state of the mother influences offspring mental function:

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine in the US have found that infection or stress in a mother during pregnancy could increase the risk of the offspring developing anxiety as an adult.

Studies have previously shown links between prenatal health problems and mental health issues later in life, including anxiety. In this latest investigation, researchers took a close look at potential neurological mechanisms that could be responsible.

And top it off with general observations on acetaminophen and birth defects across a wide range of areas:

However, prenatal acetaminophen was reported to be associated with asthma, lower performance intelligence quotient (IQ), shorter male infant anogenital distance (predicting poor male reproductive potential), autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental problems (gross motor development, communication), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, poorer attention and executive function, and behavioral problems in childhood.

It seems that acetaminophen also causes attention problems which are similar to autism:

Most strikingly, APAP medication during pregnancy has been associated with health problems including neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and increase in the risk of wheezing and incidence of asthma among offspring.

The crazy guy may not be as crazy as you think.

Tags: acetaminophen, autism, paracetamol