US - Pregnant women should ignore Donald Trump's claims that taking paracetamol could lead to their child having autism, the UK's health secretary has said.
"I trust doctors over President Trump," Wes Streeting told ITV's Lorraine programme, adding that expectant mothers should not pay "any attention whatsoever" to the US president's unfounded claims. It comes after Trump said that the pain reliever Tylenol, known as paracetamol in the UK, "is no good" for pregnant women to use, citing a disputed link between the drug and autism. Medical experts have strongly pushed back, and health officials in the UK have stressed that paracetamol remains the safest painkiller available to pregnant women. On its website, the NHS says it is "the first choice of painkiller if you're pregnant. It's commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby." Aspirin and ibuprofen are not normally recommended because these drugs can affect the baby's circulation. Untreated fever in pregnancy can also be potentially harmful in pregnancy. (BBC)
