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Highland Park Today
By the People, for the People
Trump's Unproven Autism Claims Influenced Care, Study Finds
Tylenol orders dropped, leucovorin prescriptions rose after President's comments, despite criticism from doctors.
Published on Mar. 6, 2026
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A new study found that after President Donald Trump told pregnant women not to take Tylenol and touted an old generic drug as a treatment for autism, Tylenol orders for pregnant women in emergency rooms dropped by 10% and prescriptions of the generic drug leucovorin for children rose by 71% - despite sharp criticism from doctor groups that the drug should not be broadly used for autism and Tylenol is safe during pregnancy.
Why it matters
The research highlights how an unconventional announcement by a political leader can directly impact patient behavior and prescribing practices, even when the claims are not supported by scientific evidence. It reflects the broader issue of how health care has become politicized in the U.S., with political messages sometimes driving medical care decisions rather than expert consensus.
The details
Researchers looked at changes in drug ordering and prescribing compared to projected trends before Trump's comments. They found Tylenol orders for pregnant ER patients aged 15-44 were 10% lower than predicted, while outpatient leucovorin prescriptions for children 5-17 were 71% higher than expected, during the late September to early December study period. No similar shifts were seen in comparable medications, suggesting the changes were directly tied to Trump's briefing.
- In late 2025, President Donald Trump told pregnant women not to take Tylenol and promoted an old generic drug as an autism treatment.
- From late September to early December 2025, the study period, the researchers observed the changes in Tylenol orders and leucovorin prescriptions.
The players
President Donald Trump
The former U.S. president who made unproven claims about Tylenol and an autism treatment drug during a White House briefing.
Dr. Susan Sirota
A pediatrician in Highland Park, Illinois who said the politicization of medicine and moving away from science has been challenging to deal with.
Dr. Michael Barnett
A co-author of the study and researcher at the Brown University School of Public Health who said an unconventional announcement by a political leader can directly impact patient behavior and prescribing practices.
What they’re saying
“It just shows that in our country right now, health care has been politicized in a way that political messages are driving and impacting care — and not always for good.”
— Dr. Susan Sirota, pediatrician (castanet.net)
“In past administrations, there are lots of layers of approval and expert consensus before officials make big announcements about medical topics.”
— Dr. Michael Barnett, researcher (castanet.net)
What’s next
Researchers plan to further study the long-term impacts of political messaging on medical care and patient behavior.
The takeaway
This case highlights the risks of political leaders making unproven claims about medical treatments, which can directly influence patient decisions and prescribing practices, even when those claims are criticized by the medical community. It underscores the need to depoliticize healthcare and rely on scientific evidence when making public health announcements.
