A prominent pediatrician shredded Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stunning claim that circumcision can lead to autism on CNN Thursday. (Watch the video below.)
The Health and Human Services secretary outlined the dubious association on Tuesday, saying, “There are two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol.”
“OutFront” host Erin Burnett immediately pointed out that Kennedy had produced no real evidence while noting the secretary and President Donald Trump had already linked pregnant women using Tylenol, whose active ingredient is acetaminophen, to autism in their children despite a preponderance of proof that the pain-reliever is safe.
“Claims like this get made, and they can be really scary for people. Obviously, most people circumcise their children. Are you aware of any studies or evidence to back up Secretary Kennedy linking circumcisions to autism?” she asked Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.
“This conversation that has been really sort of erupted today has prompted a lot of us to take a look at the data and just make sure that we’re not missing something,” he said. “It is very clear ― I’ve looked at the two studies that the secretary mentioned ― it is very clear that there is not a strong evidence base that links circumcision to autism.”
He continued, “And when I look at those studies, there’s a lot of methodologic[al] concerns. Look, pediatricians actually recommend circumcision as something that families might choose because the benefits outweigh the risks. And this discussion today doesn’t change how we think about that.”
Elsewhere in Kennedy’s remarks on Thursday, he made the concerning statement that HHS is striving to “make the proof” to establish a tie between Tylenol use and autism.
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