Acetaminophen and Autism

A very interesting article was published in the October issue of the Journal of Restorative Medicine. The author hypothesizes that the increased rate of autism, asthma, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be associated with an increased use of acetaminophen or paracetamol (here usually Tylenol) in children and pregnant women. We've known for quite a while that acetaminophen is toxic to for the liver. Acetaminophen is broken down in the body using four different pathways. One pathway uses the enzyme phenolsulfotransferase, which is deficient in autism. This causes an increase in a very toxic metabolite known as N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine or NAPQI. This causes further havoc in the body. Acetominophen is often given to children starting 5 days before a vaccination in case there is a fever reaction. The author hypothesizes that it is not the vaccination per se that is the problem, but the acetaminophen in children who are susceptible. 

This kind of thinking is the kind of thinking that a functional medicine practitioner does: looking for underlying causes of a problem.