Overview
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the evidence does not suffice to claim acetaminophen definitively causes autism, urging pregnant patients to consult physicians and limit use to necessity.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue alleging acetaminophen increases risks of autism and ADHD, referencing prior public assertions.
- Kenvue responded that there is no definitive causative association between acetaminophen and autism and advised pregnant consumers to seek medical guidance.
- The Food and Drug Administration stated a causal relationship has not been established and noted contrary findings in the scientific literature.
- A 2024 JAMA analysis of more than 2.5 million Swedish births found no significant associations between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, and earlier U.S. cases were dismissed after plaintiffs' experts were deemed unreliable.