The federal government’s new warning that taking Tylenol during pregnancy may lead to autism should prompt the revival of lawsuits from mothers who allege Tylenol caused their children’s autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attorneys for the families said in a new filing.
Federal officials on Sept. 22 moved to update labeling for Tylenol and other drugs containing acetaminophen, which are used for pain and fever relief. Regulators said that “the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women may be associated with an increased risk of … autism and ADHD in children.”
During a press conference announcing the moves, Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary quoted Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, a dean at the Harvard School of Public Health, who said in his expert opinion in the legal case that “there is a causal relationship” between in utero exposure to acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism….