Tylenol Autism, ADHD Lawsuits Continue to Be Filed After Reinstatement

Following appeals court ruling, families now have another opportunity to establish that Tylenol use during pregnancy caused children to develop autism and ADHD.

Parents are again filing claims against Johnson & Johnson after a federal appeals court reinstated hundreds of Tylenol lawsuits alleging that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy left children with developmental disorders, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The claims were previously part of a federal multidistrict litigation established in the Southern District of New York, where lawsuits filed throughout the country were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Families involved in the litigation allege that Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue and retailers that sold acetaminophen products failed to adequately warn pregnant women about research suggesting that prenatal exposure may increase the risk of autism and ADHD.

However, the litigation came to a halt after Judge Cote excluded the plaintiffs’ key expert witnesses, finding that their opinions did not reliably establish that acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy can cause the developmental disorders. The ruling led to the dismissal of more than 500 lawsuits before any claims were presented to a jury.

In July 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed that decision, finding that Judge Cote went too far when evaluating the experts’ methodologies and improperly resolved scientific disputes that should have been left for a jury. The appeals court reinstated the lawsuits and returned the claims to the district court for further proceedings.

The ruling has also cleared the way for new Tylenol lawsuits to be filed, and a growing number of families are now stepping forward to seek financial compensation for children left with autism or ADHD after exposure to acetaminophen before birth.

Tylenol Autism and ADHD Concerns

Tylenol contains acetaminophen, one of the most commonly used medications for treating pain and fever during pregnancy. The active ingredient is also found in hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter medications, which may result in consumers taking acetaminophen from multiple products without realizing it.

For decades, acetaminophen was widely regarded as the preferred pain reliever for pregnant women. However, several observational studies have reported an association between frequent or prolonged prenatal acetaminophen exposure and an increased risk of autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

In September 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiated the process of updating acetaminophen labels to address evidence suggesting a possible association with autism and ADHD. The agency acknowledged that a causal relationship had not been established but advised physicians to consider minimizing acetaminophen use during pregnancy, particularly prolonged use, while balancing the risks of untreated pain and fever.

Tylenol Autism Lawsuits

In the aftermath of the FDA’s label update, the appeals court reversed U.S. District Judge Denise Cote’s decision to dismiss the Tylenol autism lawsuits in July, finding she erred by excluding all of the plaintiffs’ key expert witnesses and testimony and allowing the litigation to move forward.

In addition to the panel sending the original cases back to Judge Cote, other plaintiffs have taken the ruling as a signal to recommence filing complaints.

One of the complaints (PDF) was filed by Nicholas James Noteworthy on July 30. Born in 2003 on Staten Island, the lawsuit indicates Noteworthy’s mother took Tylenol during her pregnancy with him, resulting in his ADHD diagnosis. He presents claims of failure to warn, design defect, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and breach of implied warranty.

A similar complaint (PDF) was filed on the same day by Shatia Shaw, on behalf of herself and her minor child, identified only as C.S. in the lawsuit. C.S. was born in 2012 and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The litigation is in the process of being returned to Judge Cote for further reconsideration. She is expected to move forward with plans to hold a series of Tylenol autism and ADHD lawsuit bellwether trials, which would allow attorneys from both sides to see exactly how juries weigh the expert witnesses’ testimony and other key evidence that would likely play out in the majority of claims.

Although the outcomes of those trials would not be binding on other cases, Tylenol autism attorneys and defendants will closely watch the results, which could present an avenue for a global settlement agreement.

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