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The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the firms hid safety concerns that the pain reliever presented to children's brain development.

The lawsuit comes four weeks after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.

The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.

In a declaration, he stated they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the potential hazards."

Kenvue says there is lacking scientific proof connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These companies deceived for years, knowingly endangering millions to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."

On its official site, Kenvue also said it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between using acetaminophen and autism."

Organizations representing doctors and health professionals share this view.

The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is among limited choices for pregnant women to manage pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if not addressed.

"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the use of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in offspring," the organization said.

The court filing references current declarations from the former administration in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.

Last month, Trump raised alarms from health experts when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to take acetaminophen when sick.

The FDA then released a statement that physicians should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.

The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in April to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.

But authorities advised that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.

Autism spectrum disorder is a form of permanent neurological difference and impairment that affects how individuals perceive and relate to the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.

In his lawsuit, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is seeking federal office - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit attempts to require the corporations "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is safe for women during pregnancy.

This legal action mirrors the concerns of a group of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.

A federal judge rejected the case, saying research from the family's specialists was inconclusive.