Abstract
Schultz et al (2008) raised the question whether regression into autism is triggered, not by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, but by acetaminophen (Tylenol®) given for its fever and pain. Considerable evidence supports this contention, most notably the exponential rise in the incidence of autism since 1980, when acetaminophen began to replace aspirin for infants and young children. The impetus for this shift – a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning that aspirin was associated with Reye’s syndrome – has since been compellingly debunked. If aspirin is not to be feared as a cause of Reye’s syndrome, and acetaminophen is to be feared as a cause of autism, can the autism epidemic be reversed by replacing acetaminophen with aspirin or other remedies? (Altern Med Rev 2009;14(4):364-372)
