With thanks to Global Health Now, and a comment from me below.
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In the weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Tylenol causes autism, emergency room prescriptions of the medication to pregnant women dropped ~10%, finds new research published in The Lancet [ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00243-6/fulltext ] — a reflection of how swiftly political messaging can influence health behaviors, reports the AP.
The statement: At a September 2025 White House briefing, Trump warned pregnant women against taking Tylenol, generically known as acetaminophen and paracetamol, claiming it could cause autism—over physician recommendations and widespread scientific consensus that there is no causal link.
• He also touted leucovorin as a promising autism treatment for children, despite no new supporting evidence.
The study: An analysis of hospital electronic health records found that acetaminophen orders in emergency departments for pregnant women plunged quickly, reaching a ~20% decrease in the third week after the briefing, reports CIDRAP. Use in non-pregnant women did not change.
• Prescriptions returned to earlier levels by December, but scientists say the research does not account for cold and flu season, or reflect the rates of acetaminophen taken at home, reports The New York Times (gift link).
The bigger picture: The findings show “just how much political leaders can steer health behavior even when there has been no change in the evidence for these therapies,” said coauthor Michael Barnett in a Brown University news release.
Impact on children’s prescribing: Meanwhile, outpatient leucovorin prescriptions for children spiked ~71% after Trump’s statements, despite limited evidence that it helps most autistic children—further demonstrating how “political messages are driving and impacting care,” pediatrician Susan Sirota told the AP.
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COMMENT (NPW): It is ironic evidence is supposed to take an average 17 years to get from research into policy and practice (a figure that is itself highly debatable). On the other hand, misinformation - especially from political leaders such as Trump - spreads as fast as lightning.
The only way to combat misinformation and accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information is to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem. There are no shortcuts. https://www.hifa.org/about-hifa
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org