Autism: MSU experts can comment

President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed autism spectrum disorder, causes and possible cures on Monday, Sept. 22. Michigan State University experts are available to comment on autism, including complex causes, possible misinformation, the ethics of neurodiversity and more.

Barbara Thompson is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development in the MSU College of Human Medicine. Her research explores the neurobiological underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Contact: thom1756@msu.edu

“The brain is susceptible to repeated challenges across development. Based on more than 20 years of research, I know that the timing and intensity of those challenges, the genetic susceptibility of the individual, and the buffers in place all help determine the immediate and sustained impact of those repeated challenges. Enhanced research on combined risks, including the interplay between genetics and exposures (be they internal or external to the embryo, placenta or maternal body), and the impact of different buffers, either inherent or intentionally built, on lessening the impact of those numerous challenges, will help us better understand the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders.”

Richard Leach is a professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology in the MSU College of Human Medicine. He also serves as chair for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health Services at Henry Ford Health.

Contact: rleach@msu.edu

“The announcement from the president may cause significant anxiety and concern from women who have taken Tylenol, or acetaminophen, during pregnancy. The current recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, our leading organizations advocating for maternal fetal health, can be found here. It not only provides background information from the many years of research supporting the safety benefits of acetaminophen in pregnancy, it also includes an FAQ section that is very useful for patients, providers and medical staff alike.”

John C. Besley, the Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations in MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences, studies public opinion about science and scientists’ opinions about the public. He researches how people’s perceptions about science and technology communicators can impact human health and the environment. Besley also examines how scientists’ perceptions about communication shape the choices they make when they share their research.

Contact: jbesley@msu.edu

“Few groups in society are as trusted as scientists. In my two decades of studying science and risk communication, I’ve emphasized that it’s important to remember that trust is built on perceptions of integrity and genuine concern for people’s well-being, as well as expertise. When working with scientists to develop their communication skills for sharing scientific research, I tell them it’s important to be proactive in demonstrating both its ethical standards and its commitment to serving the public. Trust should never be taken for granted, even when it has been historically strong.”

Mariah Wellman, assistant professor of advertising and public relations in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, is an expert on social media influencers, wellness rhetoric and the growth of the wellness industry. She is particularly interested in how popular users within digital wellness communities build authority with audiences, and she has ongoing projects exploring the intersections of wellness and politics. Wellman has been quoted in Reuters and The Atlantic about social media influencers and the Make American Healthy Again movement.

Contact: mwellman@msu.edu

“There is likely to be quite a bit of misinformation and fear-mongering rhetoric circulating online as a result of President Trump’s announcement, especially from health and wellness influencers in support of RFK Jr. and the Make American Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement.

“I study how these influencers build trust with their audience: While many influencers promote healthy habits and create communal spaces of social support for their followers, the increase with which they are also sharing dangerous health misinformation is concerning. Many of the recent claims made by popular MAHA wellness influencers remain unsupported by scientific evidence, and their role in the spread of health misinformation puts the public at risk. While we may see a number of wellness influencers promoting President Trump’s announcement regarding autism and the use of acetaminophen while pregnant, I still recommend consulting your health care provider first, rather than making health care decisions based on content created by social media influencers.”

Rebecca Knickmeyer is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development in the MSU College of Human Medicine and also serves as the associate director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on understanding how genetic and environmental factors shape brain development in infancy and early childhood, primarily using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI.

Contact: knickmey@msu.edu

“Autism is a group of complex and varied conditions that involve both differences and disabilities. Preventing and treating the disabling aspects of autism is an important goal, which will require a thorough understanding of both genetic and environmental risk factors. Over 1,000 genes have been implicated in autism and accumulating evidence suggests that air pollution exposure during pregnancy, lack of oxygen around the time of birth and placental inflammation are risk factors as well. Regarding medication use during pregnancy, there are some medications that are strongly associated with risk for autism such as valproic acid, a drug used to treat epilepsy.

“The evidence linking Tylenol to autism is inconsistent. The current discussion regarding how to best balance the risks and benefits of maternal medication use during pregnancy is a crucial one. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have long been excluded from clinical research, which has produced a situation where information on safety and effectiveness of medication during pregnancy is unavailable for many drugs, impeding the ability of women and their clinicians to make well-informed choices. This is a gap that must be addressed.”

B. Keith English is a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development in the MSU College of Human Medicine and a pediatric infectious diseases physician. His department has developed a highly successful and expanding developmental neuroscience research program that is working to improve our understanding of autism and related conditions.
Contact: englis94@msu.edu

“There is no evidence implicating any vaccine as a cause of autism and the claim that the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine causes autism was based on a paper published 27 years ago that was proven to have been an elaborate fraud and has since been retracted. The author of that paper, Andrew Wakefield, was found to have committed ‘scientific, medical and ethical misconduct’ by the British General Medical Council, which took away his medical license.

“It’s also important to know that during the past 50 years, it is estimated that the measles vaccine has prevented approximately 94 million deaths worldwide. During that time, not one child has developed autism because he or she received the MMR vaccine.”

Ariel Cascio, is an assistant professor in the Center for Bioethics and Social Justice and the Department of Medicine in the MSU College of Human Medicine. Their research focuses on ethical and social questions associated with autism, including research ethics.

Contact: casciome@msu.edu

“I have been doing research with autistic people for over a decade, and I led the Autism Research Ethics Task Force. Throughout this work, a major takeaway is that autistic people are listening and participating in this conversation. Politicians, researchers and science communicators need to remember autistic people are their audience. What do the many statements we’ve heard on autism from the administration this year communicate? Statements about autism risk and prevention contribute to devaluing autistic lives and distract from conversations about what autistic people need and are asking for. Politicians and researchers need to be listening.”