"If President Donald Trump wanted Americans to take away one message about autism, it was this: Blame Tylenol. During his September press conference on the subject, Trump warned pregnant women more than a dozen times not to take the drug, even though two massive studies had found no meaningful association with the disorder in children. He also spread false rumors that "essentially no autism" can be found in Cuba or among the Amish."
"But parents of autistic children took note of that promised remedy. How could they not? Officials suggested that the little-known drug, leucovorin, could alleviate the symptoms of profound autism, perhaps allowing children with speech difficulties to find their words. Hundreds of thousands would benefit, according to Makary. No, it wasn't a cure-officials stopped short of invoking that word-but it sounded like a miracle."
"The theory behind treating autism with leucovorin is that the drug gives autistic kids something they're missing. Children with autism seem to be more likely than other children to produce an antibody that prevents folate, also known as vitamin B9, from reaching their brain. Because folate plays a role in brain development, some researchers-most notable among them Richard Frye, a doctor who has been prescribing and promoting leucovorin for nearly two decades,"
A presidential press conference linked acetaminophen to autism and amplified unproven claims, while officials highlighted leucovorin as a promising treatment for profound autism. Parents responded by seeking prescriptions, often confronting limited access and informal, experimental use without clear guidelines. The treatment hypothesis centers on antibodies found more often in autistic children that may block folate (vitamin B9) from entering the brain. Leucovorin is proposed to bypass that blockade and restore folate to the brain, potentially improving language and other symptoms. Prominent clinicians, including Richard Frye, have promoted the approach and engaged with health officials.
Read at The Atlantic
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