Is there a Tylenol Lawsuit Over Autism?

Yes. A growing number of acetaminophen lawsuits have been filed against Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and other manufacturers of acetaminophen-based drugs, alleging that use of the painkiller during pregnancy caused children to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Potential Tylenol lawsuits over autism and ADHD are also being investigated against Johnson & Johnson over their role in the development and sale of acetaminophen.

The lawsuits claim Tylenol (brand name for acetaminophen) retailers and manufacturers falsely advertised acetaminophen as safe and failed to warn pregnant women about how the over-the-counter medicine interferes with fetal development.

Tylenol Lawsuit Criteria

Our law firm is actively investigating Tylenol autism lawsuits for parents of children who meet the following criteria:

Mother used any name brand or generic acetaminophen medication during pregnancy, including

  • Tylenol
  • NyQuil®/DayQuil®
  • Excedrin®
  • Alka-Seltzer Plus®
  • Mucinex®
  • Robitussin®
  • Goody’s
  • Other Drug Containing Acetaminophen (including generic/store brand)

And the child was diagnosed with

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) between ages of 1 and 10 years old.

Learn More About Acetaminophen Settlements

Latest Tylenol Autism Lawsuit Updates: 2024

Tylenol class action lawsuits and individual injury lawsuits have been filed by families of children diagnosed with autism or ADHD, pursuing settlement benefits for children who experienced side effects from acetaminophen prenatal exposure. Follow our page for the latest Tylenol autism lawsuit updates below:

February 2024 Update: The U.S. District Judge overseeing the Tylenol autism and ADHD lawsuits in federal court has issued a final judgement (PDF) on February 21, 2024, dismissing roughly 500 cases. This decision came after the court rejected expert witness testimony, which prevented families from proving that exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy caused severe developmental issues in their children.

January 2023 Update: Early in the litigation, Judge Cote has established a discovery plan which calls for the parties to prioritize discovery into the link between Tylenol and autism, ADHD and other developmental disorders, before discovery gets under way into the sales and marketing of acetaminophen drugs. Later in 2023, it is expected that the court will establish a bellwether process, where small groups of representative autism lawsuits and ADHD lawsuits will go through case-specific discovery and be prepared for a series of early trial dates.

December 2022 Update: After the number of Tylenol autism and ADHD lawsuits being filed throughout the federal court system increased nearly five fold over the prior four months, U.S. District Court Judge Cote issued an order to establish a streamlined process that will allow families to file claims directly in the acetaminophen MDL using a Short Form Complaint, which adopts relevant allegations from a longer Master Form Complaint.

October 2022 Update: The U.S. JPML has determined that the Tylenol litigation for all autism lawsuits involving acetaminophen used during pregnancy will be centralized before U.S. District Judge Denis L. Cote in the Southern District of New York, to coordinate discovery and pretrial proceedings. Judge Cote is an experienced and fair jurist, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton in 1994, and has the experience necessary to guide the Tylenol MDL toward settlement or a fair resolution.

September 2022 Update: Oral arguments before a panel of federal judges will be held this month, to decide whether to consolidate all acetaminophen autism cases as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation.

July 2022 Update: Manufacturer’s and sellers named as defendant’s in at least 19 acetaminophen lawsuits have been given until July 26 to respond on whether they support centralization of the pending lawsuits.

June 2022 Update: A group of plaintiffs filed a motion (PDF) with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on June 10, calling for all acetaminophen autism lawsuits brought throughout the federal court system to be centralized before one judge for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.


Are there costs to hire a Tylenol lawyer?

There are absolutely no out-of-pocket costs to review your case and our Tylenol lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. receive no attorney fee or expense unless a recovery is obtained for your family.

Potential claims are being evaluated for individuals throughout the United States, and all cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing up front to hire our product liability lawyers, and we are only paid if a Tylenol lawsuit payout is obtained.

Through the use of contingency attorney fees, individuals have access to the experience and resources of our national law firm for acetaminophen lawsuits – regardless of their individual financial resources.

You pay nothing upfront to hire our Tylenol autism lawyers, and we only receive an attorney fee or expenses out of the money that is obtained from the acetaminophen manufacturer or seller. Our law firm receives nothing unless we win your case!

Request a free consultation and Tylenol injuries lawsuit review online or call 1-800-522-0102 to get started. There are no attorney fees or expenses unless you win a settlement or recovery!

Speak With A Tylenol Autism Lawsuit Attorney

Allegations Raised In Tylenol Autism Lawsuits

Parents are pursuing lawsuits against several acetaminophen manufacturers and sellers after their children received an autism diagnoses or other neurodevelopmental disorders following prenatal exposure to acetaminophen in Tylenol or other drugs.

Each of the claims raises common questions of fact and law, including allegations that;

  • Defendants’ knew or should have known that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen can cause autism.
  • Defendants failed to warn pregnant women about and otherwise concealed from them the prenatal acetaminophen exposure risks.

Can Tylenol Cause Autism?

While the exact mechanism in which Tylenol causes autism or ADHD is still being actively researched, more than two dozen studies have found consistent associations between a mother’s Tylenol usage during pregnancy and children developing a neurological disorder, such as Autism or ADHD.

Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and many other over-the-counter pain relief and fever reduction medications. Acetaminophen blocks pain signals to the brain by limiting the amount of prostaglandins in your body. Prostaglandins are hormones that are released in response to injury or illness that cause inflammation and pain. By reducing the amount of prostaglandins, Tylenol reduces pain and inflammation.

Unlike ibuprofen, acetaminophen is also advertised to reduce fever by directly targeting the body’s temperature control center in the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for regulating both body temperature and the perception of pain. By reducing the activity of this area in the brain, acetaminophen is able to bring down a person’s fever while also reducing any pain that they may be feeling.

Medical experts have theorized that Tylenol’s suppression of hormones and direct targeting of receptors in an adult brain can cause interference during the delicate developmental stages of a newly forming infant brain while in utero, leading to neurological disorders (like ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder).

Studies have found children born with elevated levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood had higher rates of developing autism. Supportive studies have found children exposed to Tylenol during pregnancy were 19% more likely to have autism spectrum disorders and 21% more likely to have ADHD symptoms compared to non-exposed children.

Despite a growing body of scientific evidence linking Tylenol to autism and ADHD, the drug has been marketed for years, and continues to be marketed as a safe pain reliever and fever reducing medication that can be used during pregnancy.

As a result of these findings, a growing number of Tylenol lawsuits and acetaminophen lawsuits are currently being pursued by parents over the manufacturer’s failure to warn that children could develop a neurological disorder if exposed to Tylenol in the womb.

Are Tylenol ADHD Lawsuits Being Pursued?

Our product liability lawyers are actively pursuing lawsuits for families of children who have been diagnosed with Autism, or both Autism and ADHD, following prenatal exposure to acetaminophen based drugs.

Studies Linking Tylenol to Autism & ADHD Risks

Autism and ADHD are two distinct conditions, however, they are both part of a larger group of neurological disorders that impact impulses, behavior and focus.

In fact, research has found symptoms of the conditions often coexist, with as many as 50% to 70% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder meeting the criteria for ADHD, and as many as 50% of those with ADHD showing signs of autism.

While the exact method in which both conditions coexist has not been fully established, over the last decade more than two dozen studies have found a consistent link between the use of name brand and generic acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder.

Acetaminophen Linked to Autism & ADHD Side Effects

A 2021 study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that Tylenol exposure during pregnancy may increase the likelihood a child will be on the autism spectrum or have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The study reviewed data from more than 73,000 mother-child pairs focusing on prenatal and postnatal use of acetaminophen up to 18 months after birth.

According to the findings, researchers indicated children exposed to Tylenol during pregnancy were 19% more likely to have autism spectrum disorders and 21% more likely to have ADHD symptoms compared to non-exposed children.

ADHD and Autism from Acetaminophen in Cord Blood

A 2019 study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry found children with the highest levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood at the time of birth have a higher risk of neurological disorders.

The study compared levels of generic acetaminophen in each infant umbilical cord plasma sample collected at birth. Researchers discovered children with the highest levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood were nearly three times as likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD and nearly four times as likely to have autism.

Acetaminophen ADHD Risk Increased 41%

A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggested even a single use of acetaminophen during pregnancy could increase a child’s risk of developing ADHD by 41%, and could also increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder.

Prenatal Tylenol Exposure Side Effects

A 2014 study published in JAMA Pediatrics discovered a possible link between Tylenol and ADHD, as well as hyperkinetic disorders (HKDs), which is a disease that can cause excessive involuntary movements.

Researchers reviewed data on 64,322 children and mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy. Their findings indicate fetal exposure to acetaminophen was 29% more likely to cause ADHD, and 37% more likely to cause HKD by the age of seven.

Tylenol ADHD Risks Per Trimester

A study published in the medical journal Pediatrics in 2017 discovered pregnant women taking any amount of generic acetaminophen during pregnancy caused a 7% increased risk of ADHD in the first trimester, and a 27% increased risk during the third trimester.

Researchers further found the chances of a child developing ADHD more than doubled if pregnant women used acetaminophen for more than 29 days. Those who used acetaminophen for 22 to 28 days for fever and infection were linked to a six-fold increased risk of their child developing ADHD.

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Does Your Family Qualify For a Tylenol Settlement?

The personal injury lawyers Kirk, P.A. are reviewing Tylenol Autism lawsuits and Tylenol ADHD lawsuits for individuals across the nation.

We provide free consultations and case evaluations to help individuals review the legal options that are available to them. After contacting our office toll-free at 1-800-522-0102 or requesting a free case review online, the facts and circumstances surrounding your potential acetaminophen case will be reviewed and evaluated by our lawyers.

If it is determined that you or a loved one may be eligible for financial compensation or a settlement, it is your decision whether to hire our law firm. All Tylenol Autism lawsuits and Tylenol ADHD lawsuits are handled by our experienced product liability layers under a contingency fee agreement, which means that there are never any fees or expenses paid unless we are successful in obtaining a settlement or other recovery in your case.

Contact Our Lawyers To Review an Acetaminophen Lawsuit

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Saiontz & Kirk, PA, Attorneys & Lawyers, Baltimore, MD

Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. is no longer reviewing injury claims or potential Tylenol class action suits for individuals who suffered liver damage side effects from Tylenol or other acetaminophen products.