Investigating the Quality of Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer's (ChatGPT) Parenting Advice

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref
Learn more about the sources used

Munzer, T., Jordan, P., Sturza, J., & Milkovich, L. M. (2026). Investigating the Quality of Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer's (ChatGPT) Parenting Advice. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 47(4), e390-e396. https://doi.org/10.1097/dbp.0000000000001493

Publication date: 29 May 2026 Added to AutiHub: 29 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Tiffany Munzer
  2. Phoebe Jordan *
  3. Julie Sturza
  4. Libby M. Milkovich

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) is a widely adopted tool that can provide immediate parenting guidance. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of ChatGPT parenting advice. Methods: Clinically relevant ChatGPT queries (n = 100) were created by investigators from a national poll on parents' most pressing concerns (screen media, mental health, feeding, school violence, smoking/vaping, and cost of health care/health insurance). ChatGPT 4o was queried for responses to these questions (June–July 2024). A coding scheme on parenting advice quality was adapted from previous literature with 15 items (presence or absence) and independently coded by an interdisciplinary team. Disagreements were resolved by majority consensus. Seven of these codes were summed, creating an overall quality variable (range 0–7, 7 = high). ANOVA with post hoc Tukey-Kramer analyses compared the overall quality of advice across topics (except cost of health care/health insurance). Analyses were conducted in SAS 9.4. Results: ChatGPT frequently shared accurate information about the benefits of parenting approaches and infrequently shared information about risks or psychosocial nuances such as developmental information, race/ethnic diversity, neurodiversity, and social drivers of health. There were differences in response quality between categories (F-value 4.29, p = 0.003). Post hoc analyses found that screen media advice (mean = 3.7, SD = 1.0) was of lower quality versus mental health (mean = 4.6, SD = 1.5, p = 0.03) and smoking/vaping (mean = 5.0, SD = 1.3, p = 0.03). Feeding mean was 3.7 (SD = 1.3); school violence mean was 4.8 (SD = 1.2); cost of health care/health insurance mean was 2.8 (SD = 0.6). Conclusion: ChatGPT's information was overall accurate; however, the quality of advice varied by parenting topic. ChatGPT quality may be lower for topics such as screen media, which may have more nuanced or variable approaches.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 01:04.

Cited references
28
With a DOI
24
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
4
0 / 28 (0.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
1 / 28 (3.6%)
References with detected author names
28 / 28 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
1
Without a stable identifier
4
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
155
From DOI or external metadata
155
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
1 / 155 (0.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 154 / 155 (99.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
0 / 155 (0.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 0 / 1 (0.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 0 / 142 (0.0%).
  1. Brandon T. McDaniel , Sarah M. Coyne , Erin K. Holmes (2012). New mothers and media use: associations between blogging, social networking, and maternal well-being . Matern Child Health J, 16(7), 1509. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10995-011-0918-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2030556075
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. Hu (2023). R1-20260814 ChatGPT sets record for fastest-growing user base - analyst note.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  3. Rachel Y Moon , Anita Mathews , Rosalind Oden , Rebecca Carlin (2019). Mothers’ perceptions of the internet and social media as sources of parenting and health information: qualitative study . J Med Internet Res, 21(7), e14289. JMIR Publications Inc..
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2196/14289 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2960099721
    Crossref OpenAlex
  4. Mohd Javaid , Abid Haleem , Ravi Pratap Singh (2023). ChatGPT for healthcare services: an emerging stage for an innovative perspective . TBench, 3(1), 100105. BenchCouncil Press.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.tbench.2023.100105 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4366498198
    Crossref OpenAlex
  5. Sarah M. Coyne , Hailey G. Holmgren , Savannah L. Keenan-Kroff , Sarah Petersen , Laura Stockdale (2020). Prenatal predictors of media use during infancy . Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 23(6), 377. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2019.0477 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3013993715
    Crossref OpenAlex
  6. Al Shboul (2024). Investigating the use of ChatGpt as a novel method for seeking health information: a qualitative approach . Sci Technol Libr., 43, 225.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  7. Jenny S. Radesky , Heidi M. Weeks , Rosa Ball , Alexandria Schaller , Samantha Yeo , Joke Durnez et al. (2020). Young children's use of smartphones and tablets . Pediatrics, 146(1), e20193518. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-3518 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3030219906
    Crossref OpenAlex
  8. Peter Lee , Sebastien Bubeck , Joseph Petro (2023). Benefits, limits, and risks of GPT-4 as an AI chatbot for medicine . N Engl J Med., 388(13), 1233. Massachusetts Medical Society.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1056/nejmsr2214184 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4361289889
    Crossref OpenAlex
  9. Rachel Barr , Heather Kirkorian , Jenny Radesky , Sarah Coyne , Deborah Nichols , Olivia Blanchfield et al. (2020). Beyond screen time: a synergistic approach to a more comprehensive assessment of family media exposure during early childhood . Front Psychol, 11, 1283. Frontiers Media SA.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01283 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3041886411
    Crossref OpenAlex
  10. John W. Ayers , Adam Poliak , Mark Dredze , Eric C. Leas , Zechariah Zhu , Jessica B. Kelley et al. (2023). Comparing physician and artificial intelligence chatbot responses to patient questions posted to a public social media forum . JAMA Intern Med, 183(6), 589. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1838 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4367310920
    Crossref OpenAlex
  11. Tregony Simoneau , Jessica P. Hollenbach , Christine R. Langton , Chia-Ling Kuo , Michelle M. Cloutier (2021). Smoking cessation and counseling: a mixed methods study of pediatricians and parents . PLoS One, 16(2), e0246231. Public Library of Science (PLoS).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246231 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3129003245
    Crossref OpenAlex
  12. Rachel Kim , Alex Margolis , Joe Barile , Kyle Han , Saia Kalash , Helen Papaioannou et al. (2024). Challenging the chatbot: an assessment of ChatGPT’s diagnoses and recommendations for DBP case studies . J Dev Behav Pediatr, 45(1), e8. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001255 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4391784398
    Crossref OpenAlex
  13. Chioma Torres , Jenny Radesky , Kimberley J. Levitt , Brandon T. McDaniel (2021). Is it fair to simply tell parents to use their phones less? A qualitative analysis of parent phone use . Acta Paediatr, 110(9), 2594. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/apa.15893 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3157628466
    Crossref OpenAlex
  14. Tyler C. McFayden , Stephanie Bristol , Orla Putnam , Clare Harrop (2024). ChatGPT: artificial intelligence as a potential tool for parents seeking information about autism . Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 27(2), 135. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2023.0202 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4390604268
    Crossref OpenAlex
  15. Xiangyu Tao , Celia B. Fisher (2022). Exposure to social media racial discrimination and mental health among adolescents of color . J Youth Adolesc, 51(1), 30. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01514-z OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3205186321
    Crossref OpenAlex
  16. R. Brandon Hunter , Satid Thammasitboon , Sreya S. Rahman , Nina Fainberg , Andrew Renuart , Shelley Kumar et al. (2024). Using ChatGPT to provide patient-specific answers to parental questions in the PICU . Pediatrics, 154(5), e2024066615. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-066615 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4403199628
    Crossref OpenAlex
  17. Megan A. Moreno , Jenny Radesky (2023). Putting forward a new narrative for adolescent media: the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of excellence on social media and youth mental health . J Adolesc Health, 73(2), 227. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.04.027 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4377832436
    Crossref OpenAlex
  18. Ethan Mollick , Jim Euchner (2023). The transformative potential of generative AI: a conversation with Ethan Mollick . Res Technol Manage, 66(4), 11. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/08956308.2023.2213102 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4382048751
    Crossref OpenAlex
  19. Shuang Quan , Yao Du , Yi Ding (2024). Young children and ChatGPT: parents' use of ChatGPT in parenting . Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-7. ACM.
    Type: Other DOI: 10.1145/3613905.3650880 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4396832082
    Crossref OpenAlex
  20. Anthony J. Nastasi , Katherine R. Courtright , Scott D. Halpern , Gary E. Weissman (2023). A vignette-based evaluation of ChatGPT’s ability to provide appropriate and equitable medical advice across care contexts . Sci Rep, 13(1), 17885. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45223-y OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4387772689
    Crossref OpenAlex
  21. Lauren C. Haley , Alexandra K. Boyd , Nutan B. Hebballi , Eric W. Reynolds , Keely G. Smith , Peter T. Scully et al. (2024). Attitudes on artificial intelligence use in pediatric care from parents of hospitalized children . J Surg Res, 295, 158. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.10.027 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4389038667
    Crossref OpenAlex
  22. Sophia Spallek , Louise Birrell , Stephanie Kershaw , Emma Krogh Devine , Louise Thornton (2023). Can we use ChatGPT for mental health and substance use education? Examining its quality and potential harms . JMIR Med Educ, 9, e51243. JMIR Publications Inc..
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2196/51243 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4388502894
    Crossref OpenAlex
  23. Ryan C.L. Brewster , Priscilla Gonzalez , Rohan Khazanchi , Alex Butler , Raquel Selcer , Derrick Chu et al. (2024). Performance of ChatGPT and Google translate for pediatric discharge instruction translation . Pediatrics, 154(1), e2023065573. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-065573 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4399548417
    Crossref OpenAlex
  24. Joseph Barile , Alex Margolis , Grace Cason , Rachel Kim , Saia Kalash , Alexis Tchaconas et al. (2024). Diagnostic accuracy of a large language model in pediatric case studies . JAMA Pediatr, 178(3), 313. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.5750 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4390510163
    Crossref OpenAlex
  25. Clark (2023). Overuse of devices and social media top parent concerns . Mott Poll Rep Natl Poll Children’s Health, 43, 2.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  26. Ismail Dergaa , Feten Fekih-Romdhane , Souheil Hallit , Alexandre Andrade Loch , Jordan M. Glenn , Mohamed Saifeddin Fessi et al. (2024). ChatGPT is not ready yet for use in providing mental health assessment and interventions . Front Psychiatry, 14, 1277756. Frontiers Media SA.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1277756 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4390585437
    Crossref OpenAlex
  27. Megan A. Moreno , Jenny Radesky , Mary Claire Walsh , Suzy Tomopoulos (2024). The family media plan . Pediatrics, 154(6), e2024067417. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-067417 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4404726200
    Crossref OpenAlex
  28. Lindson (2019). Motivational interviewing for smoking cessation . Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2019, CD006936.
    Type: Other
    Crossref