I saw rates of neurodiversity climb in classes I taught. I think I know why

I do not take advice from the person who cuts my hair on how to maintain my physical flexibility.

And I definitely do not take advice from politicians on health. I try to listen to experts (although my physio may think I don't listen hard enough).

Unfortunately, politicians love to give advice on anything that comes into their heads. And so it is now we have US President, Donald Trump, telling pregnant women what to do and when to do it. He's a disgrace. An embarrassment. And a risk to health the world over.

Here's some of what he said at his press conference earlier this week. Tylenol (or paracetamol as it is known here) during pregnancy "can be associated with a very increased risk of autism".

Then: "So taking Tylenol is not good ... for this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That's, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can't tough it out; you can't do it. I guess there's that. It's a small number of cases, I think. But if you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're going to have to do. You'll take a Tylenol, but it'll be very sparingly. It can be something that's very dangerous to the woman's health. In other words, a fever that's very, very dangerous and ideally a doctor's decision because I think you shouldn't take it, and you shouldn't take it during the entire pregnancy."

Oh. My. God. If there is a single health professional who agrees with Trump, I'm going to assume that person is on the presidential payroll.

Over the past few days, I've read nothing but a complete rejection of his claims.

Tylenol doesn't cause autism.

Just because autism is present in those whose mothers took paracetamol doesn't mean the painkiller caused autism.

It's the old correlation-is-not-causation thing. About 10 years ago, Tyler Vigen, a law student at Harvard, put together a website revealing high correlations between things that aren't related, for example, margarine consumption and the divorce rate in the US state of Maine. I reckon if I took good notes of when it rains, two things I can guarantee: I will have just hung out a load of laundry and/or I will have just washed my car. The washing of cars or laundry did not cause the rain.

I asked Elisha Broom what she thought about the Trump advice. Broom is the acting director of obstetrics at a large Queensland hospital and a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynecology counsellor.

"From a professional perspective, it's probably quite scary and makes pregnant women feel quite uncertain about what is safe and unsafe in pregnancy because it is quite different to what they would have been hearing from their medical professionals." Which is absolutely the last thing you want those women to feel. They are already overwhelmed with the amount of stuff they hear.

Broom says point blank: "There is no robust evidence that links paracetamol used in pregnancy with neurodivergence in children."

Katie Attwell, professor of public policy at the University of Western Australia, has concerns. What does she think of Trump's claim?

"I think it's devastating and deeply irresponsible," she says.

But she's also concerned about the impact on the future. She says these claims go on to have a life of their own, just as Andrew Wakefield's false claims about autism and vaccines did (and do). They are reproduced later by people who know nothing about the origins of an idea, and the impacts are long-lasting. Attwell and colleagues describe it as a zombie idea, one which has a life long after its origins are dead.

"It's very, very hard to get rid of a zombie. They keep coming back. You think you've killed it and these things do they reanimate and they have their own new lives and they will go places that we don't expect."

She says governments have to be extra on top of their health comms and campaigns. 1000 per cent yes.

But here's what's truly shocking to me (on top of the insanity of presidential intervention on this AND wondering who at Tylenol offended the orange clown) is the way the president and his demonic sidekick RFK jnr demonised autism.

When I first started teaching at a university, there were very few students who had what's called special consideration. It's where students asked for extensions or other help. When I left in 2020, there were a number in each class. The students had depression, some were autistic, some had ADHD or other aspects of what is now called neurodiversity.

Did I think for one minute that years on, some idiot politician from the other side of the world would blame that on paracetamol? No, I did not. Did any of those kids struggle to function in the world? Some managed better than others - but that's like the rest of society. Did I think there must be a reason for this increase in diagnoses?

Sure. We now have solid descriptions of a range of behaviours.

For many families, a diagnosis means they get help. Now that complete raving lunatic Donald Trump blames the increase on a common and safe drug.

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In nearly the same breath, he warned families against the number of vaccinations all at the same time. Too much for the little bodies of babies. And why do people reject vaccines?

Because over a quarter of a century ago, Andrew Wakefield published a research paper which claimed to show a link between the vaccine for measles, mumps and Rubella (MMR) and autism. In 2010, he was found guilty of serious professional conduct and was struck off the medical register. He now lives in Trumpland and continues to spread his lies.

And I think about all those families who decided not to get their children immunised against measles. These were the parents who listened to idiotic playground advice in Texas. More than 800 people had measles in Texas this year and two chldren died. And I think about the mothers a lot. Their heartbreak and their guilt. I think about the fathers too, the sisters and brothers, who lost those three beings because of medical advice from someone who is not a doctor. It's like taking medical advice from that non-doctor Barnaby Joyce (remember when he worked against Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine). Please do not do that.

Believe doctors, not politicians.