A 2019 study conducted by Johns Hopkins University and funded by the National Institutes of Health built upon these findings. The study was published in the scientific journal JAMA Psychiatry. For the Johns Hopkins University study, researchers took a unique approach: they collected samples of umbilical cord blood from hundreds of newborns, then measured the amount of acetaminophen in each sample. Thus, the researchers were solely looking at the amount of acetaminophen the cord blood samples contained. They then divided the study subjects into three groups based on the level of acetaminophen found in their umbilical cord blood. Researchers found that the children with the highest levels of acetaminophen in their cord blood samples were more than three times as likely to develop ASD down the line than children whose cord blood had the lowest levels of acetaminophen.

In 2020, another study published in JAMA Psychiatry further corroborated the Johns Hopkins study. It found that fetal exposure to Tylenol or generic acetaminophen in the womb notably increased the risk of childhood autism and ADHD. Researchers discovered that as the level of prenatal exposure increased, so did the risk of being diagnosed with one or both of these conditions. The study concluded that further investigation was warranted.

If you took Tylenol or another acetaminophen product while you were expecting — especially at high doses or for an extended period — and your child later developed ASD, you could qualify for a civil lawsuit against the drug manufacturer for failing to warn consumers about the risks associated with using their product while pregnant.

Through a Tylenol autism lawsuit, you may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, mental healthcare expenses, permanent disability costs, physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses.