US President Donald Trump called for restrictions on the use of paracetamol during pregnancy due to a possible risk of autism. His remarks reignited public debate about the causes of this neurodevelopmental disorder and dietary interventions for patients diagnosed with it.
Several studies have analyzed the relationship between gluten and casein consumption—a protein found in milk—and autism symptoms. While there is no evidence that these foods cause the condition, scientific reviews have documented improvements in a subgroup of children with autism spectrum disorder who follow gluten- and casein-free diets.
The 2017 Cochrane review concluded that the quality of the available studies is low and the sample sizes are small, but acknowledged that some research shows improvements in communication, behavior, and gastrointestinal symptoms after removing gluten and dairy. This has led doctors and families to consider these diets as a supervised option, especially for children with digestive problems.
International organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization maintain that there is insufficient evidence to recommend these diets on a general basis. However, nutrition experts point out that their implementation under medical and nutritional supervision can be beneficial for certain patients.
Sources cited:
1) SWI swissinfo.ch. *Trump calls for limiting paracetamol use during pregnancy due to possible autism risk*. https://share.google/8hv5fRfBrSDuhnadS
2) Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. *Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder*. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003498.pub4
3) World Health Organization. *Autism spectrum disorders*. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders
4) Pan American Health Organization. *Autism in the Americas*. https://www.paho.org/en/news/2-4-2023-autism-americas