Amazon removes ‘autism cures’ books

Amazon is no longer selling books that promote unscientific methods to “cure” children of autism, like ingesting or bathing in a potentially toxic form of bleach, NBC News reported on Tuesday.

The online retail giant confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday that “Healing the Symptoms Known as Autism” and “Fight Autism and Win” are no longer for sale, but did not say why they were removed.

{mosads}The move by Amazon comes amid a report this week from Wired that said both books recommended parents give their kids chlorine dioxide, a bleach-like substance, to treat autism.

The Food and Drug Administration warned in 2010 that chlorine dioxide “can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration” and that it “poses a significant health risk to consumers who may choose to use this product for self-treatment.”

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in young children for which there is no known cure.

Pressure to clamp down on health misinformation has been on the rise.

Facebook last week unveiled plans to limit the circulation of anti-vaccine content on its site. Those changes came as public health officials worry that lower vaccination rates are triggering disease outbreaks.

Updated at 10:30 a.m.