SAN DIEGO — Most public health institutions failed to respond in a timely way to misinformation on social media that falsely claimed that acetaminophen during pregnancy is linked to autism, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition.
Researchers reviewed public social media (Instagram) posts from 65 accounts including top children's hospitals, medical societies, and state health departments, auditing accounts to assess their response to popular misinformation on this topic from September through November, 2025. They identified the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as the fastest and most active account to respond during this time, according to authors.
"As social media grows in popularity as a source of medical information, it is imperative to understand the ways trusted sources communicate this information," said author Jessica Visone, a medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She will present the abstract, "Administrative Gaps in Digital Patient Engagement: An Audit of Institutional Responsiveness to the 2025 Acetaminophen-Autism Controversy," during the Oct. 2-6 conference in San Diego.
"We need to ensure the right information is reaching the appropriate audiences to promote health and well-being for all. At a time of increased misinformation, there is nothing more powerful than the truth when it comes to population health."
The research audits the timeliness and quality of digital communications from pediatric organizations following messaging from the White House on September 22, 2025, linking acetaminophen use to autism.
The analysis found only 14 of 65 institutions (21.5%) of the accounts posted anything relevant to correct false claims concerning the purported cause of autism. None of the state health departments addressed the topic and children's hospitals took as long as 51 days to address the topic, according to research. The AAP responded on Day 1 and posted 10 relevant posts over the time period.
Of the 26 relevant posts analyzed, all used plain-language formatting and myth-busting framing, but the average reading level was well above the average 8th-grade reading level in the U.S., according to the research. No multilingual content was identified across any institution.
"Overall, through this audit of major pediatric health institutions, we found a limited and delayed response to an active health controversy," Visone said. "Major health organizations have a responsibility to communicate with the populations they serve during times of increased health misinformation."
The full team who contributed to this research included Kathryn Whitehill, MD, and medical students: Shivani Srivastava and Katherine Poole.
