The Trump administration has a whole lot of parents scratching their heads today after a wildly confusing press conference about new health recommendations for children and expectant mothers. Although President Trump was surrounded by his Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, during the September 22 press conference, he made some claims that were contrary to the current health guidelines. And if that isn’t enough to make your head spin, the president admitted that his statements are based on his personal recommendations rather than information that is backed by science.
Suggested Reading
Here are three of the wildest things that came out of President Trump’s press conference.
Pregnant Mothers Should Tough It Out
For years, expectant mothers have been told that acetaminophen, an analgesic that treats minor aches and reduces fever in brands like Tylenol, is the only safe over-the-counter medication for these symptoms during pregnancy. But during his comments yesterday, President Trump told reporters that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending women limit the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy unless it is medically necessary, due to potential links to an increased risk of autism.
“Taking Tylenol is not good, I’ll say it, it’s not good,” he said.
The president added that rather than take medication, pregnant mothers should just do their best to “tough it out.”
“I just want to say it like it is— don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. Fight like hell not to take it,” he said.
But toughing it out can have dangerous consequences for mom and baby. According to The March of Dimes, an untreated fever, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy, can lead to miscarriage and birth defects.
In a September 22 letter, the FDA Commissioner stated that the link between acetaminophen and autism is an “ongoing area of scientific debate.”
“To be clear, while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature,” the letter read.
The Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine Should Be Taken Separately
President Trump didn’t stop at Tylenol, he also claimed during the presser that babies are pumped with too many vaccines, including the MMR, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella or the MMRV which also protects against chickenpox.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) current recommendation, children should receive two doses of the vaccine; the first should be given between 12 and 15 months and the second between the ages of four and six before they start school. They say most people who receive the vaccine are protected for life.
Although this one vaccine protects children from three or four highly contagious diseases, during his remarks, President Trump recommended the vaccines be administered separately… based on what he “feels.”
“The MMR, I think, should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel,” he said. “It seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem. So, there’s no downside in taking them separately. In fact, they think it’s better. So let it be separate.”
There’s No Reason to Give Babies The Hepatitis B Vaccine
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver and can lead to liver disease and liver cancer. The virus is spread through blood and bodily fluids, which means it can be passed from an expectant mother to her newborn. But babies born to mothers who have hepatitis B have a 90 percent chance of being healthy if they are given one dose of the vaccine at birth and another at two months, which is why the CDC currently recommends the HepB vaccine for all infants.
But the president just offered his own recommendation, which challenges the current CDC guidelines.
“Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no reason to give a baby almost just born hepatitis B [vaccine]. So, I would say wait till the baby is 12 years old and formed and take hepatitis B. And I think if you do those things, it’s going to be a whole different revolution in a positive sense,” Trump said.
Although Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz didn’t dispute Trump’s medical advice, many online who heard his remarks said they’d rather stick to science.
“Ah yes who needs decades of quality data when one can make healthcare policy on vibes and a “trust me bro,” wrote someone on X.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.