Tylenol use in pregnancy fell after Trump remarks, study finds

The basics:

• ER orders for Tylenol among pregnant patients fell 10% after Trump’s Sept. 2025 remarks
• Harvard and Brown researchers analyzed 294 million patient records across 1,600 hospitals
• Experts emphasize no proven link between acetaminophen in pregnancy and autism
• Kenvue, NJ health groups stress science-based guidance for expecting mothers

New Jersey’s pharmaceutical industry is weighing in on a new study about acetaminophen use among pregnant women. The findings show emergency room orders for Tylenol for pregnant women fell for several weeks last fall after a White House briefing promoted unproven claims about the drug.

In the controversial remarks, President Donald Trump said pregnant women who use the common over-the-counter pain reliver and fever reducer would increase their babies’ risk of autism.

An analysis published March 5 in medical journal The Lancet found a notable drop in orders for Tylenol among pregnancy-related ER trips following the remarks. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brown University School of Public Health authored the paper.

The study looked at electronic health records of more than 294 million patients from 1,600 hospitals and 37,000 clinics. The team reviewed data in the months after the Sept. 22, 2025, press event to find the impact of Trump’s comments.

The power of public figures

According to the study, orders for acetaminophen among nearly 89,000 ER pregnant patients fell by 10%. Researchers said they not see the same decline among the 854,200 women in the ER who weren’t pregnant.

Prescriptions at emergency departments appeared to trend back to baseline by early December. The analysis said this could possibly have come in response to messaging from trusted organizations refuting Trump’s claims.

Meanwhile, prescriptions for leucovorin rose sharply after the president suggested it as an autism treatment for children. Those levels did not fall back by the end of the study period in early December.

The Trump administration had previously announced plans to establish the form of folic acid as the first Food and Drug Administration-recognized therapeutic for children with cerebral folate deficiency (which has been associated with autism) and autistic symptoms. No large clinical trials have tested leucovorin’s efficacy in autism.

Study co-authors Jeremy Faust of Harvard University and Michael Barnett of Brown University believe the trends “show the apparent power that public authority figures have to drive sudden changes in health care practices.”

They noted that the recommendations from the White House were based on “low-quality evidence.” However, it was still enough to increase interest despite there being “no new data.”

‘Needlessly afraid’

It’s not clear from the study whether patients declined to take Tylenol or doctors prescribed it less. The analysis did not track over-the-counter use of acetaminophen sales — the most common way people purchase the medication.

Faust wrote about the immediate decrease in Tylenol use in ERs among pregnant patients in a recent op-ed.  He said it meant that “thousands of women did not have their pain or fever treated in ERs, likely because they were needlessly afraid.”

He went on to say, “We think that’s unfortunate because, among the options for pain control and fever reduction, Tylenol is the safest option.”

Faust is an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“In a time in which public trust in health, medicine, and science is under attack, it’s regrettable that so many families will have been misled into thinking that this medication could somehow miraculously change the lives of children with autism,” Faust added.

When asked for comment, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services referred to a social media post from spokesperson Andrew Nixon. “Delivering a message about a specific neurological risk for babies is another example of our commitment to telling the truth about public health, something the Biden administration would not do,” the post said.

‘Science matters’

After Trump’s remarks stirred up controversy, numerous professional associations reiterated no proven link has been found between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Advocates include the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Global health authorities, such as the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency, also quickly denounced the president’s comments.

New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson was the original seller of Tylenol. It spun off its consumer health business in 2023, establishing Kenvue as a fully independent company. Besides Tylenol, that Summit-headquartered company’s product portfolio also includes Neutrogena, Lactaid, Visine, Zyrtec, Aveeno, Band-Aid, Listerine and Benadryl.

Kenvue reports sales trends for its business segments rather than by individual brands. The distinction makes it unclear if Trump’s statements affected OTC Tylenol purchases.

For the period ending Dec. 28, 2025, Kenvue posted a 1.5% increase in net sales for its self-care unit. The segment’s sales had declined in the prior quarter.

In a statement to NJBIZ, Kenvue said, “We remain deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion unfounded claims pose for expecting mothers and parents. It is scientifically known that untreated high fevers pose potential serious risks to a pregnancy, such as miscarriage, pre-term labor and birth, and fetal malformations. … Science matters.

We remain deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion unfounded claims pose for expecting mothers and parents.
– Kenvue statement to NJBIZ

“We continue to believe that there is no credible data that shows a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism and encourage expecting mothers to speak with their healthcare professional before use as per instruction on our product label,” the company added.

New Jersey weighs in

New Jersey Hospital Association President and CEO Cathy Bennett said, “Science and safety have always been at the heart of the U.S. medicine chest – and must continue to be. Drugs prescribed in the U.S. have been the subject of clinical trials, rigorous data analysis, safety checks and scrutiny by panels of experts.”

“Once approved, medication choice belongs in the hands of the patient and healthcare provider, working together to address the patient’s unique needs and wishes,” she said.

Based in Princeton, NJHA represents nearly 400 health care organizations across the state. Its members include hospitals, health systems, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospice providers and educational institutions.

BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart shared, “The life sciences field is grounded in the use of rigorous scientific inquiry to develop better solutions that improve the health and well-being of people across the globe. Within this community, decisions made by companies and research institutions must be guided by the strongest and most credible evidence available.”

“When health care guidance is issued without the support of well-established, peer-reviewed scientific research, it weakens the evidence-driven principles that underpin the life sciences. BioNJ encourages the use of the extensive scientific expertise that exists today to ensure that both patients and clinicians receive clear, reliable and evidence-based information when making healthcare decisions.”

BioNJ is the largest life sciences association in New Jersey. Its membership spans over 400 research-based organizations across the health care ecosystem.