Autism advocates say Trump rhetoric fuels stigma and harms families

US doctors will soon be advised not to prescribe paracetamol to pregnant women, after President Donald Trump claimed an ‘increased autism risk’.

He cited the unproven link as a major factor in the rise of diagnoses.

The call has been criticised worldwide, with Ministries of Health globally moving to put out the flames.

Experts have labelled the rhetoric “quite scary” and “really damaging”.

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago pediatrics and child health science officer, Joanne Dacombe, is with us to dive into how comments like this affect autistics and their families.

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