Citing new studies linking the analgesic drug acetaminophen (a chemical also known as paracetamol or by brand names Tylenol and Panadol) to the development of neurological conditions such as autism, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity in their children, women in the United States have filed 87 lawsuits in seven states against several pharmacies that sell the drug, including Costco, CVS Health, Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, Walgreens and Walmart.
The women filing the lawsuits allege that the acetaminophen that they took while they were pregnant caused their children’s neurological problems. They say there are more than 20 peer-reviewed studies that have found an association between the development of brain disorders and the use of the over-the-counter analgesic drug, which was licensed in the mid-1950s and is the most widely used physician-recommended pain reliever world-wide.
Plaintiff attorneys specifically cite a 2018 study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on Apr. 24, 2018 that found a 30 percent increase in the relative risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, whose pregnant mothers took high amounts of the drug, and a 20 percent increase in relative risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The women filing the lawsuits allege that the acetaminophen that they took while they were pregnant caused their children’s neurological problems. They say there are more than 20 peer-reviewed studies that have found an association between the development of brain disorders and the use of the over-the-counter analgesic drug, which was licensed in the mid-1950s and is the most widely used physician-recommended pain reliever world-wide.
Plaintiff attorneys specifically cite a 2018 study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on Apr. 24, 2018 that found a 30 percent increase in the relative risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, whose pregnant mothers took high amounts of the drug, and a 20 percent increase in relative risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
