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Texas Personal Injury Attorney – Autism and ADHD from Prenatal Acetaminophen (Tylenol®)

Taking Tylenol® (Acetaminophen / Paracetamol) while pregnant can affect the child’s brain development.^{1 2}

“We have sufficient data from multiple populations and studies to say that acetaminophen is not as safe as it is considered.” ³

Prenatal acetaminophen consumption has been connected to:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Language delay (in girls)
• Decreased Intelligence Quotient (IQ).⁴

“epidemiological studies consistently suggest prenatal APAP [acetaminophen] exposure might increase the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, language delay (in girls) and decreased intelligence quotient.“
–Nature Reviews Endocrinology (2021)⁵

Raising the alarm on acetaminophen use during pregnancy:

Nature Reviews (2021): A group of “scientists, medical experts and public health professionals” published a “call for precautionary action” demanding that that pregnant women not take acetaminophen (Tylenol® and similar products with acetaminophen as an active ingredient) unless given it by a doctor:

If your child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or another neurological disorder, doctors and researchers generally recommend therapeutic intervention as early as possible.

With therapy and caregivers, medical bills can add up.

But you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries.

Many studies have connected prenatal consumption of acetaminophen with fetal development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Exposure to acetaminophen during gestation “may increase symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in male children… [and] hyperactivity / impulsivity behaviors for all children.”⁷

“Long-term maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy was substantially associated with ADHD…”⁸

“Exposure to acetaminophen” in the uterus had an “important” effect on “emotional and hyperactivity symptoms” in boys.”⁹

“Together, these nine studies suggest an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal [acetaminophen] exposure.”¹⁰

“We found some evidence that maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy was associated with poorer attention and executive function in 5-year-olds.”¹³

“Fetal exposure to acetaminophen w[as] associated with significantly increased risk of childhood ADHD and ASD….

“Our findings support previous studies regarding the association between prenatal and perinatal acetaminophen exposure and childhood neurodevelopmental risk…”¹⁴

“Pre-pregnancy acetaminophen use may be associated with higher risk of… adverse birth outcomes including low birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age, [which] have consistently been related to an increased risk for developmental disorders including ADHD.”¹⁵

Long-term exposure to paracetamol in utero was associated with modestly increased risks of motor milestone delay and impaired communication skills among children at 18 months. Caution is warranted when considering long-term use of paracetamol during pregnancy…”¹⁶

What are Autism and ADHD?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how a person perceives and socializes with others.	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects the ways in which an individual focuses and behaves. ADHD is the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder.17
Symptoms The symptoms and severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can vary widely with different individuals, so the condition is described as a spectrum. Symptoms of ASD can include: Routines or rituals Unusual sensitivities Speech Challenges Unusual bodily movement Unusual focus of attention Discomfort interacting with others Difficulty communicating with others ASD can look very different depending on the person. A wide variety of symptoms and behavior may qualify for a diagnosis of autism. Autism is also more mild in some people, and more severe in others.	Symptoms Many children display some ADHD symptoms. But in children with ADHD, symptoms persist and interfere with the child’s ability to function or cause problems at home and school. There are also multiple types of ADHD. Symptoms of the various types of ADHD may include: Inability to resist temptation Taking unreasonable risks Fidgeting Talking too much Frequently losing items or Regularly forgetting things Excessive daydreaming Challenges in getting along with others Difficulty with taking turns There are three main types of ADHD: Predominantly Inattentive Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive An equal combination of the other two types
Treatment The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that if your child has symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, you should contact a healthcare professional to have your child screened for ASD. There is no cure for ASD, but there are autism therapies that can greatly help a child’s development. Info about screening for ASD is available on the CDC Website. Early intervention is important, so the CDC urges you to act quickly if you are concerned.	Treatment The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there are various ways to treat ADHD, depending on the symptoms and age of the child. Treatment usually involves a combination of behavior therapy and medications In young children (4-5 years old), therapy can train parents how to manage their child’s behavior before the need to prescribe medication. As the child grows, persistent symptoms are sometimes treated with medication, with ongoing monitoring and therapy. Healthy habits are also important: Enough sleep Physical exercise Nutritious diet Limiting screen time

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how a person perceives and socializes with others.

Symptoms The symptoms and severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can vary widely with different individuals, so the condition is described as a spectrum. Symptoms of ASD can include: Routines or rituals Unusual sensitivities Speech Challenges Unusual bodily movement Unusual focus of attention Discomfort interacting with others Difficulty communicating with others ASD can look very different depending on the person. A wide variety of symptoms and behavior may qualify for a diagnosis of autism. Autism is also more mild in some people, and more severe in others.

Treatment The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that if your child has symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, you should contact a healthcare professional to have your child screened for ASD. There is no cure for ASD, but there are autism therapies that can greatly help a child’s development. Info about screening for ASD is available on the CDC Website. Early intervention is important, so the CDC urges you to act quickly if you are concerned.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects the ways in which an individual focuses and behaves. ADHD is the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder.17

Symptoms Many children display some ADHD symptoms. But in children with ADHD, symptoms persist and interfere with the child’s ability to function or cause problems at home and school. There are also multiple types of ADHD. Symptoms of the various types of ADHD may include: Inability to resist temptation Taking unreasonable risks Fidgeting Talking too much Frequently losing items or Regularly forgetting things Excessive daydreaming Challenges in getting along with others Difficulty with taking turns There are three main types of ADHD: Predominantly Inattentive Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive An equal combination of the other two types

Treatment The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there are various ways to treat ADHD, depending on the symptoms and age of the child. Treatment usually involves a combination of behavior therapy and medications In young children (4-5 years old), therapy can train parents how to manage their child’s behavior before the need to prescribe medication. As the child grows, persistent symptoms are sometimes treated with medication, with ongoing monitoring and therapy. Healthy habits are also important: Enough sleep Physical exercise Nutritious diet Limiting screen time

Tylenol® isn’t the only over-the-counter medication with acetaminophen.

These are a few of the products that contain acetaminophen as an active ingredient:

Tylenol®	NyQuil®/DayQuil®	Coricidin®
Excedrin®	Alka-Seltzer Plus®	Dristan®
Robitussin®	Goody’s®	Saint Joseph®
Mucinex®	Theraflu®	Vicodin®
Triaminic®	Vanquish®	Ultracet®
Vicks®	Zicam®	Dimetapp®
Anacin®	Benadryl®	Midol®
Cepacol®	Contac®	Tylox®

Warriors For The Injured

Legal options for a diagnosis of autism and ADHD caused by taking acetaminophen while pregnant.

Health researchers have been raising the alarm about prenatal acetaminophen:

“We recommend that APAP should be used by pregnant women cautiously at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Long-term or high-dose use should be limited to indications as advised by a health professional.”¹⁹

The law provides compensation for bodily injuries (including developmental disorders like Autism and ADHD) under a number of legal bases, including products liability, strict liability, and negligence (the legal term for carelessness.)

Legal liability for manufacturers and distributors of potentially dangerous products like Tylenol®-brand acetaminophen.

Under Federal and Texas state civil laws, a person or company is legally responsible for harm they cause if they are acting:

Negligently

Negligence is the legal term for carelessness. Manufacturers must be cautious and careful enough in researching their product to understand its dangers before putting them on the market.

Recklessly

Reckless means a person understands their behavior is very risky and may hurt others but ignores the risk.

Some manufacturers may have ignored warning signs that indicated they were selling a product that was more dangerous than labeled, reported or permitted by law.

Intentionally

People and companies are responsible for actions and behavior they do on purpose.
In the worst cases, some companies actually know of a product’s danger and hide the information to have it approved or marketed.

Legal options for neurological development conditions like autism and ADHD caused by taking acetaminophen while pregnant

Lawsuits for Autism and ADHD injuries caused by prenatal acetaminophen are in the early phases. But many people seem to have been injured, and there is a great deal of medical information supporting the connection between prenatal acetaminophen products like Tylenol® and a diagnosis of Autism or ADHD.

If you believe your loved one has symptoms of Autism or ADHD, speak to your pediatrician or a healthcare provider with expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD and ADHD.

You can seek compensation to help with ongoing medical bills and costs for treatment. Contact Justinian and Associates at or to discuss your case.

We offer a free consultation with no obligation. We will listen to the facts of your particular case and explain your options.

A person injured by a dangerous product can often recover financial compensation for:

• Medical Bills (including ongoing care)
• Lost Wages
• Anguish and Trauma

Someone who is injured can file a tort lawsuit. If many people have been injured by the same medication, they can combine their lawsuits into a mass tort lawsuit.

But winning a dangerous product personal injury lawsuit can be complex.

It can include investigating medical studies, corporate publications and using testimony from experts on how the medication caused an injury. This is not easily done, particularly when drug companies show up with an army of lawyers.

If your child or loved one has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the child’s mother consumed Tylenol or another acetaminophen product, speak to a Texas personal injury attorney with experience in dangerous products and mass tort law.

A Texas Personal Injury Law Firm That Knows What You’re Up Against

Justinian & Associates Has Always Helped People Who Were Injured By Dangerous Products.

Personal injury lawsuits involving dangerous products like drug prescriptions, chemical fertilizers or tainted products like baby foods containing heavy metal are typically more complicated than the average fender-bender.

Acetaminophen-Caused Autism and ADHD Lawsuits Can Be Very Complex to Prove

Winning a mass tort lawsuit for developmental injuries caused by prenatal acetaminophen consumption usually involves proving that the manufacturers did not properly warn consumers of a product’s potential risks. 

That kind of proof may include researching studies, corporate publications and sourcing and recording expert testimony on how the medication caused an injury. 

In addition, there is no simple test for ASD or ADHD, and proving a diagnosis involves having a loved one examined by a healthcare professional who can provide an official diagnosis.
Showing how a product caused an injury can require legal and scientific expertise which many Texas personal injury attorneys simply do not have.

The court may combine a lawsuit for an autism or ADHD diagnosis related to acetaminophen consumption during pregnancy with similar lawsuits against the same acetaminophen manufacturers or distributors.

Cases involving dangerous products are often combined into a larger lawsuit like a class-action lawsuit or a mass tort lawsuit.

These cases often involve tens of thousands of injured consumers, and courts may look at all the cases at once. These types of lawsuits are known as mass torts.

Justinian & Associates has focused on mass torts involving dangerous products since we were founded. We have successfully represented many victims harmed by large chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

In fact, attorneys at Justinian & Associates are sometimes assigned by the court to organize and present the law and facts of the case on behalf of thousands of clients in mass tort cases.

All of this is not easily done, particularly when big companies 
and their insurers show up with an army of lawyers.
But battling bullies is what Justinian & Associates does best.

We Are Warriors For The Injured

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attributable to acetaminophen taken during pregnancy, now is the time to seek legal assistance.

You need experienced attorneys on your side

Our Texas and San Antonio mass tort lawyers have successfully represented dozens of victims injured by dangerous pharmaceuticals and other hazardous substances. That’s exactly why we were founded.

The legal team at Justinian and Associates has years of experience dealing with personal injury cases involving health conditions like ASD, and medications that are far more dangerous than represented by the companies selling them.

We have the knowledge, experience, resources and trained investigators to take on large adversaries like billion dollar manufacturing companies.

All we do is fight for injured victims.

Our only goal is justice for our clients, whatever that means for them.

And we do not accept defeat.

Unless we get you money for your injuries, you don’t pay us a dime.

Call, text or email us for a free consultation, with no obligation. 

Speak to a Texas personal injury attorney from Justinian & Associates (not a “screener” or paralegal) to understand your rights.

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^{[1] A Systematic Review of the Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Acetaminophen: A Mystery to Resolve, interpreting data from Parker SE, Collett BR, Werler MM: Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy and childhood behavioural problems: Discrepancies between mother- and teacher-reported outcomes. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2020, 34:299-308. 10.1111/ppe.12601).}

^{[2] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[3] A Systematic Review of the Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Acetaminophen: A Mystery to Resolve, interpreting data from Parker SE, Collett BR, Werler MM: Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy and childhood behavioural problems: Discrepancies between mother- and teacher-reported outcomes. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2020, 34:299-308. 10.1111/ppe.12601).}

^{[4] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[5] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[6] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action. Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[7] “Acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopment: attention function and autism spectrum symptoms.” Avella-Garcia, Claudia B., et al. International journal of epidemiology 45.6 (2016): 1987-1996.}

^{[8] “Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and risk of ADHD.” Ystrom, Eivind, et al., Pediatrics 140.5 (2017).}

^{[9] Tovo-Rodrigues, Luciana, et al. “Is intrauterine exposure to acetaminophen associated with emotional and hyperactivity problems during childhood? Findings from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort.” Bmc Psychiatry 18.1 (2018): 1-11.}

^{[10] “Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: A review.” Bauer, Ann Z., et al., Hormones and behavior 101 (2018): 125-147.}

^{[11] “Long-term prenatal exposure to paracetamol is associated with DNA methylation differences in children diagnosed with ADHD.” Gervin, Kristina, et al., Clinical epigenetics 9.1 (2017): 1-9.}

^{[12] “DNA methylation and susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder.” Tremblay, Martine W., and Yong-hui Jiang., Annual review of medicine 70 (2019): 151.}

^{[13] Zeyan Liew, Cathrine Carlsen Bach, Robert F Asarnow, Beate Ritz, Jørn Olsen, Paracetamol use during pregnancy and attention and executive function in offspring at age 5 years, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 45, Issue 6, December 2016, Pages 2009–2017.}

^{[14] “Association of cord plasma biomarkers of in utero acetaminophen exposure with risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in childhood.” Ji, Yuelong, et al., JAMA psychiatry 77.2 (2020): 180-189.}

^{[15] Arneja, Jasleen, et al. “Association between maternal acetaminophen use and adverse birth outcomes in a pregnancy and birth cohort.” Pediatric Research 87.7 (2020): 1263-1269.}

^{[16] Vlenterie, Richelle, et al. “Neurodevelopmental problems at 18 months among children exposed to paracetamol in utero: a propensity score matched cohort study.” International journal of epidemiology 45.6 (2016): 1998-2008.}

^{[17] What is ADHD?, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Website (August 9, 2022).}

^{[18] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}

^{[19] Paracetamol use during pregnancy—a call for precautionary action, Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D., Liew, Z., Taylor, H.S., Bornehag, C.G., Andrade, A.M., Olsen, J., Jensen, R.H., Mitchell, R.T. and Skakkebaek, N.E., 2021. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(12), pp.757-766.}