These fears often stem from online claims or misinterpretations of scientific studies

Tylenol and Autism

Dr. Jennie Berkovich

R

ecently, there’s been growing concern among parents about whether using Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy or early childhood could increase the risk of autism. These fears often stem from online claims or misinterpretations of scientific studies.

For decades, ob-gyns have recommended Tylenol as the first-line treatment for pain or fever during pregnancy. Other common pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can pose risks to the developing baby, especially later in pregnancy.

Large studies have found that acetaminophen doesn’t increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, or developmental issues when taken as directed. Occasional use for medically necessary reasons, like treating fever, headaches, or muscle pain, is considered safe. Prolonged or daily use should always be discussed with your care team, but there’s no evidence that typical, short-term use is harmful to the fetus. In fact, fever during pregnancy is associated with increased risks of certain adverse outcomes, including birth defects and miscarriage, particularly when fever occurs in the first trimester.

Similarly, acetaminophen has been a trusted medication in pediatrics for generations. When given at the right dose, it safely reduces fever and discomfort in children. For infants and toddlers, the key is careful dosing. Always use the measuring spoon/syringe that comes with the medication and check with your pediatrician before giving Tylenol to a baby under one year old.

Babies younger than 12 weeks shouldn’t receive acetaminophen unless specifically advised by a healthcare provider. For example, some mohelim and doctors use it for pain management after a bris, while others recommend against it.

Some studies have explored whether there might be an association between acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy and conditions like ADHD or autism. However, these studies don’t prove that Tylenol causes autism.

Autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental diagnoses are complex and caused by many different factors. Most of these aren’t factors that individuals can control.  In fact, rigorous research, including large sibling comparison studies, suggests that differences between siblings with a neurodevelopmental diagnosis and those without are more likely explained by genetics, parental health, or other environmental factors rather than something like maternal Tylenol use.

Pain and fever themselves can pose risks if left untreated, especially during pregnancy. Major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, continue to recommend acetaminophen as the safest pain and fever reducer during pregnancy and early childhood.

As parents, we always want to do the best thing for our children, even before they are born. It’s also easy to feel scared when we hear there’s any concern about a common medication. Reaching out to your care team, your ob-gyn, or your pediatrician should always be your first line of research when it comes to validating health information.

Dr. Jennie Berkovich is a board-certified pediatrician in Chicago and serves as the Director of Education for the Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association (JOWMA)

My Fault

Shoshana Schwartz

IF

you’re unhappy, then it must be my fault.

When you say it like that, it sounds absurd. And yet it’s so easy to fall into this thought trap.

Because we’re naturally attuned to the emotional frequency of others, we automatically pick up on their mood. We sense when someone’s upset. Many of us have been trained that when someone’s upset, I’m going to be uncomfortable. That person might say something nasty, act out, sulk, slam doors, or just radiate grumpiness, implying without words that they’re not okay — and that someone (probably me) should fix it.

So we step up. We try to fix it. We smooth things over, change the environment… anything to remove whatever’s upsetting them. In doing so, we quietly accept the responsibility they’re offering: Their mood is now my job.

It happens so quickly and nonverbally that neither of us may even realize what’s going on. But people are allowed to have emotional reactions. They’re allowed to feel sad, angry, jealous, or hurt. When we give them space to process their emotions, they often do so without acting out. When we rush in to rescue, we rob them of that opportunity and reinforce to ourselves that we can’t handle someone else’s discomfort.

We want to spare people discomfort. But when we constantly shield them, we prevent them from developing ways to handle it — which, in the long run, doesn’t serve them well.

When you sense that feeling in the air, do a quick internal check: Did I actually hurt or upset them? If so, apologize. And if you can help in a tangible way, go ahead.

When you do something because you can, not because you don’t trust their ability to do it themselves, that’s helping, not rescuing.

Trust others to manage their emotions.

Shoshana Schwartz specializes in overcoming compulsive behaviors, including emotional eating, codependency, and addiction. She is the founder of The Satisfied Self.

Be a Villager

Zipora Schuck

IN

today’s day and age, protecting one’s boundaries seems to trump almost every other value. However, when everyone constantly says no to others, reduces the amount of chesed they do, and walks away from hard asks, then in times of need, people will be left feeling alone and uncared for.

But recently, the proverb “It takes a village,” which implied that your community would rally around you, has been adapted to the slogan “Be a villager,” encouraging people to push themselves to be there for others. “Villagers” do things when they aren’t convenient, when they don’t have energy, when they aren’t comfortable, and even when their schedule is tight.

If you’re worried about how you’re going to manage without setting limits, remember that you don’t have to be the only “villager.” Others can pitch in when you can’t.

After all, it takes a village.

Zipora Schuck MA. MS. is a NYS school psychologist and educational consultant for many schools in the NY/NJ area.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 971)