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Words Matter
Study shows Tylenol use during pregnancy dropped and leucovorin prescriptions surged after unsupported federal claims about autism.
BY JUAN SILIEZAR
A White House briefing last fall that raised concerns about acetaminophen use during pregnancy and promoted the drug leucovorin as a potential autism treatment was followed by sharp changes in how doctors prescribed those medications nationwide, according to a study in The Lancet.
Researchers found that after the Sept. 22, 2025, briefing, acetaminophen orders for pregnant women in emergency rooms fell markedly while prescriptions for leucovorin for children dramatically increased. These changes occurred despite no new clinical trial data or formal guideline revisions during that period, the authors wrote. continued on p4 J
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