A series of recent studies that have shown a link between Tylenol and pregnancy, as well as autism, ADHD, or other developmental disorders, led to the litigation. Similar allegations are made in each of the lawsuits. They allege that children could have been spared life-altering disabilities if drug manufacturers and retailers had provided all the information they needed about the pregnancy risks associated to the pain medication.
Researchers warned doctors that Tylenol should be avoided during pregnancy in September 2021 after reviewing a number of studies that showed acetaminophen could cause harm to the developing baby.
Tylenol Pregnancy Side effects Linked to Respiratory Problems
Researchers examined the effects of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol in Europe) during pregnancy on children’s respiratory health. They reviewed studies that involved nearly 330k women. More than 44,000 of these women used Tylenol or other acetaminophen products while pregnant.
According to the study, maternal exposures to acetaminophen were linked to an increased risk of asthma in offspring by 34% and 31% respectively.
Researchers noted that past studies had shown acetaminophen could affect both the mother as well as the fetus. They also linked it to premature births, neurological problems, ADHD and low birth weight.
“Results of our study confirmed that maternal paracetamol use in pregnancy is associated with an enhanced risk of asthma and wheezing in their children,” the researchers concluded. “We believe paracetamol should be used with caution by pregnant women, and at the lowest effective dose, and for the shortest duration.”
March 2023 Tylenol Lawsuit update
Given common questions of fact and law raised in hundreds of complaints brought over the past year, a federal MDL (multidistrict litigation) was established late last year, centralizing all lawsuits over autism spectrum disorder and ADHD caused by Tylenol, Equate and other versions of acetaminophen before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in the Southern District of New York, for coordinated discovery and a series of early “bellwether” trials that will help gauge how juries are likely to respond to certain evidence and testimony about the risks associated with Tylenol use in pregnancy.
In January, Judge Cote issued a court order detailing how the federal court will coordinate Tylenol lawsuit discovery proceedings in various state courts nationwide, and early discovery will focus on evaluating the strength of the evidence linking Tylenol and autism or ADHD diagnoses, before the litigation proceeds into case-specific discovery to establish whether specific children’s diagnoses were caused by acetaminophen.
Since Tylenol has been one of the most widely used medications by pregnant women in recent years, it is ultimately expected that tens of thousands of families are expected to joint the litigation, seeking financial compensation and Tylenol autism lawsuit payouts for their children.
