International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

When Political Influence Undermines Evidence: The Risks of Unsubstantiated Medical Claims

Articles in Press

Document Type : Letter to Editor

Authors
Juan S. Izquierdo-Condoy
Jorge Vásconez-González
Esteban Ortiz-Prado
One Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
Keywords
Misinformation
Political Influence
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Pregnancy
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dear Editor,

 

Global concern has emerged following a recent statement from the current US administration regarding the alleged risks of acetaminophen (paracetamol) use during pregnancy and its purported link to autism spectrum disorders. ...(Read more...)

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2                Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen use during pregnancy and children's risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205-1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172
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6                European Medicines Agency (EMA). Use of paracetamol during pregnancy unchanged in the EU. 2025; published online Sept 23. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/use-paracetamol-during-pregnancy-unchanged-eu.  Accessed September 23, 2025.
7                The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Affirms Safety Benefits Acetaminophen Pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2025/09/acog-affirms-safety-benefits-acetaminophen-pregnancy.  Published September 22, 2025.  Accessed September 23, 2025.
8                Tuccori M, Convertino I, Ferraro S, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 "infodemic" on drug-utilization behaviors: implications for pharmacovigilance. Drug Saf. 2020;43(8):699-709. doi:10.1007/s40264-020-00965-w
9                Maharaj SB, Dookeeram D, Franco DY. The Nikki Minaj effect: the impact of social media disinformation on vaccine hesitancy in the Caribbean. J Glob Health. 2021;11:03121. doi:10.7189/jogh.11.03121
10             Honcharov V, Li J, Sierra M, et al. Public Figure Vaccination Rhetoric and Vaccine Hesitancy: Retrospective Twitter Analysis. JMIR Infodemiology. 2023;3:e40575. doi:10.2196/40575
11             Carpenter D, Dardet ME, Bhaskar A, Rand LZ, Feldman WB, Kesselheim AS. Does policy uncertainty boost vaccine hesitancy? Political controversy, the FDA, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in fall 2020. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2025;50(3):397-437. doi:10.1215/03616878-11670184 
International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 30 September 2026

  • Received Date 05 October 2025
  • Revised Date 20 February 2026
  • Accepted Date 30 September 2026
  • First Published Date 30 September 2026
  • Published Date 30 September 2026