The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed a webpage warning the public against dangerous products and therapies falsely claiming to treat autism, such as raw camel's milk, chelation therapies and chlorine dioxide. The page, titled 'Be Aware of Potentially Dangerous Products and Therapies that Claim to Treat Autism,' was quietly taken down late last year.
The archived version of the page highlighted the 'significant health risks' of these unproven treatments. It cautioned against 'miracle mineral supplement' containing chlorine dioxide, a toxic bleaching agent, and raw camel's milk, which can carry foodborne illnesses. Chelation therapies, used to remove heavy metals under medical supervision, were also listed as not approved for autism.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the FDA, told the BMJ in January that the page was 'retired' during a 'routine clean up' of outdated content. The HHS spokesperson said other older articles were also removed. The Independent has asked the FDA about plans for a new warning page.
Zoe Gross, a director at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, expressed concern. 'It may be an older page, but those warnings are still necessary. People are still being preyed on by these alternative treatments like chelation and chlorine dioxide. Those can both kill people,' she told ProPublica.
The removal comes as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promotes unproven theories about autism, including linking vaccines and acetometaphin use in pregnancy to autism, claims rejected by doctors. The FDA still has a general 'health fraud scams' page but no specific autism warnings.
