From [HERE] Hundreds of “Tylenol lawsuits” already have been filed against retailers and manufacturers alleging they sold products containing acetaminophen to pregnant women, knowing the medications could harm the developing fetus.

The number of lawsuits could soon reach into the thousands, according to an attorney who spoke to The Defender.

Attorney W. Mark Lanier described the lawsuits — which allege acetaminophen use during pregnancy can cause children to be born with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — as “some of the most important health litigation pending in the United States right now.”

Lanier, founder and CEO of the Houston-based Lanier Law Firm involved in several high-profile product litigation lawsuits, told The Defender:

“Autism and mental health development or mental development issues touch a huge number of Americans. We believe the science indicates that taking Tylenol can cause many of these problems, period. We think the science backs this up, we think the biology backs it up, and we are eager to prove that in a court.

“The goal here is not to take Tylenol off the market. The goal here is to put a warning on it so that doctors and expectant mothers are able to make an intelligent decision of what risks they will expose their child to during pregnancy.”

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) late last year appointed Senior U.S. District Judge Denise Cote to oversee the growing number of lawsuits brought by families, resulting in all of the claims being transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Judge Cote last month appointed a special master to preside over all federal Tylenol autism and ADHD lawsuits.

The lawsuits allege retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and others, falsely advertised products that contain acetaminophen as being safe for pregnant women and did not warn them about the risks posed to fetal development.

Lawsuits also are expected against Johnson & Johnson for its alleged role in encouraging widespread acetaminophen use during pregnancy, which could send the number into the thousands.

Products that contain the drug include Tylenol, Alka-Seltzer Plus, DayQuil, Excedrin, Goody’s, Mucinex, NyQuil, Robitussin and some generic and store-brand equivalents.

The lawsuits allege the products have been marketed as safe for pregnant women since the 1950s, despite the existence of dozens of peer-reviewed studies showing acetaminophen poses serious risks to pregnant women and unborn children.

Lawsuits are being pursued on behalf of children under age 15 who were diagnosed with ASD between the ages of 1 and 10, and children under age 15 who were diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 8 and 14.

The Defender examined some of the currently pending lawsuits making such allegations and the scientific literature regarding the risks of acetaminophen during pregnancy and spoke with one of the attorneys involved with the Tylenol lawsuits. [MORE]