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The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Tylenol, alleging the corporations hid safety concerns that the medication posed to pediatric cognitive development.

The court filing arrives four weeks after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.

The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever suggested for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.

In a declaration, he said they "betrayed America by gaining financially from discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the risks."

Kenvue asserts there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These corporations lied for decades, deliberately risking countless individuals to line their pockets," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.

Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of US mothers and children."

On its online platform, Kenvue also said it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is no credible data that indicates a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism."

Groups speaking for doctors and healthcare providers agree.

ACOG has said paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to treat pain and fever, which can pose serious health risks if ignored.

"In over twenty years of investigation on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the usage of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation causes brain development issues in offspring," the organization commented.

The lawsuit references recent announcements from the previous government in asserting the medication is allegedly unsafe.

Recently, the former president generated worry from health experts when he instructed pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to consume Tylenol when ill.

Federal regulators then published an announcement that doctors should think about restricting the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism in children has not been proven.

The Health Department head RFK Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the cause of autism in a short period.

But experts cautioned that finding a sole reason of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complex mix of inherited and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.

Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that influences how persons perceive and relate to the environment, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.

In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism.

The lawsuit aims to force the firms "remove any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is reliable for women during pregnancy.

The court case mirrors the complaints of a group of mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court dismissed the lawsuit, declaring investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.