"Instead, paracetamol is the safest option for pregnant women and children," BPOM’s Director for Narcotics, Psychotropics, Precursors, and Addictive Substance Safety and Quality Monitoring, Nova Emelda, said on Thursday.
She explained that paracetamol has long been recommended to relieve children’s pain, unlike acetosil, which has been associated with Reye syndrome, a condition that can damage the liver and brain.
Emelda noted that the drug's safety has been consistently proven by scientific data and that paracetamol has been used as a painkiller for nearly a century. It is also available in various forms, including tablets, syrup, and injections.
Trump's remarks, reported by several media outlets on Monday, revived debates about the drug's safety during pregnancy. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has debunked the claim, emphasizing that no conclusive scientific evidence links paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism.
Globally, around 62 million people — or one in 127 — live with autism spectrum disorder, a condition associated with brain development. Although awareness and diagnoses have improved, the exact causes remain unclear, with multiple factors believed to be involved.
Over the past decade, extensive research, including large-scale studies, has investigated potential links between acetaminophen (paracetamol) use during pregnancy and autism, but no consistent association has been found.
WHO continues to recommend that women follow the advice of their doctors or health workers, stressing that any medicine should be used with caution during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester.
The organization also reiterated that vaccines do not cause autism, citing robust evidence from multiple large-scale studies. Since 1999, independent experts advising WHO have confirmed that vaccines, including those containing thiomersal or aluminum, are safe and do not cause autism or other developmental disorders.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie, Tri Meilani Ameliya
Editor: Anton Santoso
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