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Why docs must lead patient education debunking Tylenol claims
As patients question claims about Tylenol and autism, their trust in institutions falters. Is it up to doctors to fill in patient education gaps?
Claims about Tylenol use during pregnancy being a cause of autism have reached most healthcare consumers, and only about a third say the claim is "definitely false," according to a new KFF survey of more than 1,000 adults.
These findings indicate a need for better public health education on the matter driven by medical professionals.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued a warning linking autism to the use of acetaminophen or Tylenol during pregnancy. According to KFF and other healthcare experts, there is little definitive data linking the two.
But the American public generally doesn't know what to think, as they navigate whether they can trust the public health messaging coming out of federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Public perception on Tylenol claims mixed
According to the KFF poll, 77% of Americans have at least heard the Trump administration's claims about Tylenol during pregnancy, indicating that the messaging has gotten broad reach.
But despite mixed clinical data linking autism with Tylenol use during pregnancy, the American public is pretty mixed on their beliefs.
The good news is, only 4% of respondents said the statements are "definitely true," KFF said.
But the number of adults who were mixed in their perceptions -- meaning they said the claim was either "probably true" or "probably false" -- was notable. A total of 60% of adults were somewhere in the middle in terms of their understanding of Tylenol use during pregnancy, with 30% saying it's probably true that it causes autism and another 30% saying that claim is probably false.
Notably, only 35% of adults could definitively say claims of Tylenol use in pregnancy causing autism were false. When looking at only parents, that number shrank to 32%.
Use of acetaminophen during pregnancy has been endorsed by leading medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
"Today's announcement by HHS is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children," ACOG president Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, said in a September statement. "It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data."
"Decades of research have found that acetaminophen is safe for children when administered as recommended," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said in its own fact-check about Tylenol use in young kids. "Misleading claims that the medicine is not safe and is linked to increased rates of autism send a confusing, dangerous message to parents and expectant parents and does a disservice to autistic individuals."
As medical professionals seek to ensure quality public health education, they need to assess their role as messengers in a shifting landscape of patient trust.
Patient trust in federal agencies waning
According to the KFF polling numbers, fewer patients trust the federal agencies making false claims, such as the ones linking Tylenol during pregnancy with autism or the changes in vaccine policy that have been at the center of recent public discourse.
In September of 2023, the public's trust in the CDC for things like vaccine policy was at 63%. That trust is now at an all-time low, with 50% of the public saying they trust the CDC for vaccine policy.
By contrast, patients are increasingly trusting medical professional societies. For example, trust in the AAP is at 69% for parents, while trust in the American Medical Association is at 64% for all adults.
"It's encouraging if far from ideal that as trust in our nation's scientific agencies crumbles, the public does trust the professional associations who have stepped forward," KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a statement about the survey.
Healthcare professionals should capitalize on this growing trust, leveraging their interpersonal relationships with patients to debunk myths deterring them from healthy behavior. Using empathic communication, understanding the fear or concern at hand and offering viable solutions to problems will be key as providers assume a greater role as public health messenger.
Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.
