More than 100 families of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are suing companies that market acetaminophen, the pain reliever in Tylenol and an array of other medications. Tylenol-maker Johnson & Johnson, as well as major retailers that use acetaminophen in their store-brand products, knew about research linking prenatal use of acetaminophen to neurodevelopmental disorders in children, the families claim, and should have included warnings on product labels.
The court filings reveal mothers wracked with guilt, convinced that by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, they caused their child's disability. In case after case, these women say that if they had thought acetaminophen could possibly harm their baby, they would have minimized their use of the drug — or not taken it at all.
