Pediatric institutions showed limited social media response to acetaminophen-autism claims

Most health organizations included in an audit of public Instagram accounts did not post content addressing claims linking prenatal acetaminophen use with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during a 2025 period of heightened public attention, according to research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2026 National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, California.^1,2

Researchers reviewed accounts from 65 health organizations between September 22 and November 15, 2025, following White House messaging on September 22 linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy with autism. The study authors noted that causal evidence supporting such an association is lacking.

Only 14 institutions, or 21.5% of the sample, posted content addressing the controversy. The AAP responded on the first day and published 10 relevant posts during the study period. None of the state health departments included in the analysis posted relevant content.

“As social media grows in popularity as a source of medical information, it is imperative to understand the ways trusted sources communicate this information,” Jessica Visone, a medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said in a press release. “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.”

Researchers audit institutional Instagram accounts

Investigators conducted a cross-sectional audit of public Instagram accounts from children's hospitals, professional medical societies, and state health departments serving large pediatric populations.

They assessed the time until an institution's first relevant post, the proportion of content addressing the controversy, and communication quality. Researchers evaluated readability using the Flesch-Kincaid grade level and SMOG index and examined posts for multilingual availability and accessibility features.

Among institutions that responded, children's hospitals posted as many as 51 days after the AAP's initial response.

The researchers also examined whether organizations that did not address the controversy were otherwise inactive on Instagram. Some nonresponding institutions published more than 100 posts about other topics during the study period.

“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.”

Posts presented readability and language limitations

Researchers identified 26 relevant posts across the accounts included in the study. According to the abstract, 85% used plain-language formatting and myth-busting framing. The press release described all 26 posts as using these approaches.

Despite these communication strategies, the posts had an average Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 11.4, above the eighth-grade reading level used by the investigators as a comparison. Researchers did not identify multilingual content from any of the institutions studied.

The authors suggested that health systems develop standardized processes for responding to emerging health controversies, including preapproved messaging templates, content written at or below an eighth-grade reading level, and multilingual resources.

For pediatricians, the findings highlight the potential information gap families may encounter when health claims spread rapidly online but trusted institutions do not address them through the same channels. The authors proposed that establishing communication processes before misinformation events occur could allow organizations to respond more quickly.

The study was limited to public Instagram activity from the selected organizations during a defined period and therefore does not account for information institutions may have distributed through websites, other social media platforms, direct patient communication, or other channels.

References

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Social media analysis finds health institutions delayed or did not respond to false claims linking autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy. Eurekalert. October 2, 2026. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1145262

2. Visone J. Administrative gaps in digital patient engagement: an audit of institutional responsiveness to the 2025 acetaminophen-autism controversy. Abstract presented at: American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition; October 2-6, 2026; San Diego, CA.