A Sudden Vanishing Act (Image Credits: Pixabay)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration quietly removed a longstanding consumer webpage that alerted parents to risky therapies falsely promoted as autism cures.
A Sudden Vanishing Act
The page, last updated in 2019, highlighted treatments lacking scientific backing and linked to serious dangers. Federal officials described the deletion as part of a routine purge of outdated material at the close of 2025. An archived version remains accessible online, preserving details of the warnings.
Among the remedies flagged were chelating agents, hyperbaric oxygen therapies, chlorine dioxide solutions, and raw camel milk. These products had drawn FDA scrutiny for years due to false claims and health risks. The move leaves no prominent consumer alerts on the agency’s site about chlorine dioxide, once marketed as a bleach-like “miracle” cure.
Backstory of Proven Perils
Chelation therapy, which removes heavy metals from the body, claimed to address supposed toxin overloads in autistic children. A tragic case in 2005 saw a five-year-old boy in Pennsylvania die during such a session. Hyperbaric oxygen treatments, involving high-pressure chambers, also carried risks; a 2024 chamber fire in Michigan killed another five-year-old seeking help for attention issues.
Chlorine dioxide, sold as Miracle Mineral Solution, generates a potent bleach in the body and prompted FDA alerts since at least 2010 over life-threatening effects. Raw camel milk promoters touted it for immune boosts, but evidence of efficacy stayed absent. Parents, desperate for solutions, sometimes turned to these despite expert cautions.
Leadership Shifts Under RFK Jr.
The changes coincided with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as HHS Secretary. In October 2024, he pledged online to halt suppression of alternative therapies like chelation, hyperbaric oxygen, and chlorine dioxide, criticizing pharmaceutical dominance. Kennedy appointed panel members who backed unproven autism approaches, including a vaccine skeptic advocating Lupron hormone blockers for children.
HHS recast its autism advisory committee in January 2026, replacing members with those aligned to new priorities. Officials claimed the shifts promoted “gold-standard science,” though critics viewed them as a retreat from evidence-based guidance. Kennedy once praised pursuits of remedies including chlorine dioxide during the COVID-19 era.
Alarm from Advocates and Researchers
Zoe Gross of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network warned that the warnings remained vital. “People are still being preyed on by these alternative treatments like chelation and chlorine dioxide,” she stated. “Those can both kill people.”
Experts like Dr. Paul Offit and Dr. Fred Volkmar expressed dismay, noting proven early interventions help most autistic children achieve independence. They feared the absence of alerts could steer families from effective supports. Meanwhile, online communities celebrated the page’s removal, calling for further research into chlorine dioxide.
Early diagnosis and behavioral therapies offer real progress for autism, yet unverified options persist amid policy pivots. As federal guidance evolves, parents face heightened stakes in navigating claims.
Key Takeaways
- The FDA webpage warned against chelation, hyperbaric oxygen, chlorine dioxide, and raw camel milk for autism since before 2019.
- Removals followed HHS routine cleanup claims, but tied to RFK Jr.’s push against “suppressed” therapies.
- History includes child fatalities linked to chelation and hyperbaric treatments.
What are your thoughts on these FDA changes? Share in the comments.ProPublica
