Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
When the FDA updated Tylenol's pregnancy label in 2025, TikTok misinformation flooded in — and health institutions largely looked the other way. Despite making up fewer than a third of videos on the topic, misleading posts racked up over half of all views. A single misinformation video alone hit 10.3 million views, while public health agencies stayed mostly silent on social media.
When the FDA updated acetaminophen (Tylenol) labels in September 2025 to note a possible link to neurodevelopmental disorders in children, TikTok lit up — and not with accurate information. Two new studies presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference reveal just how badly misinformation dominated the conversation, and how poorly health institutions responded.
Researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School analyzed 53 TikTok videos posted after the FDA announcement. While 52.8% of videos were evidence-based, misinformation videos — despite being fewer — captured 52.4% of total views. Importantly, current research does not support a link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism or ADHD. A companion study found that only 14 of 65 major health organizations (21.5%) posted any response on Instagram, and none of the state health departments weighed in at all.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This research highlights a critical gap in public health communication — when misinformation moves fast, institutions move slow. Experts are calling for rapid-response protocols, plain-language messaging, and multilingual content so health organizations can meet patients where they actually are: online.
