Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves removing the foreskin (the retractable skin of the penis that covers the glans)
The President and Minister of Health of the United States (USA) say that early circumcision surgery and the use of paracetamol can cause autism, but experts reject the hypotheses, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Two studies show that children circumcised early are twice as likely to be autistic,” Health Minister Robert Kennedy Jr proclaimed during a White House cabinet meeting.
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves removing the foreskin (the retractable skin of the penis that covers the glans).
The Minister of Health also said that autism is caused by the use of paracetamol, a medicine to treat fever and mild and moderate pain.
Autism specialist and professor at Boston University, USA, Helen Tager-Flusberg said the statements don’t make sense.
“None of this makes sense,” Helen Tager-Flusberg told AFP.
The professor indicated that no solid scientific study suggests that circumcising a child or taking acetaminophen promotes the development of an autistic disorder.
US President Donald Trump said Americans should not give the medicine to children or pregnant women and should go against doctors’ advice.
In September, Trump had already linked the use of paracetamol during pregnancy to the development of autism, contrary to scientific consensus, according to AFP.
Studies have suggested a link between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the medication, but the connection has not been scientifically proven.
According to AFP, a more recent analysis rejected the possibility.
“They make claims about the role of paracetamol that are simply not supported by any scientific studies,” lamented Tager-Flusberg.
Regarding the role of circumcision in the development of ASD, politicians’ statements are based on an “error-riddled” study published in 2015, according to University of Pennsylvania psychiatry professor David Mandell.
“A more recent review of studies in this area finds no link between circumcision and adverse psychological effects,” Mandell told AFP.
Since 2024, Trump has openly attacked medical and scientific authorities and made numerous “baseless claims about autism and vaccines,” according to AFP.
According to the same source, Robert Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, has also spread false information on the subject.
