The Food and Drug Administration last week approved the drug leucovorin to treat autism. But the approval was made without a formal review, and some behavioral health physicians in Maine are cautioning families that more research is needed to know whether it's effective.
Melissa Bowker-Kinley of MaineHealth Behavioral Health encourages parents to consult with providers "so that they can get personalized recommendations for their individual child/young adult, and be able to kind of weigh pros and cons and have a meaningful discussion," she said.
President Trump last week also discouraged the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, citing a link to autism. Bowker-Kinley said research has not found a direct link. She says autism is caused by a complex mix of genetic and environmental risk factors, and rarely a single cause.
