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Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of Tylenol, alleging the companies concealed safety concerns that the medication posed to children's neurological development.

This legal action follows four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unproven link between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.

The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the medication, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a official comment, he stated they "betrayed America by gaining financially from suffering and marketing drugs regardless of the dangers."

The company states there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking countless individuals to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism."

Associations speaking for medical professionals and healthcare providers share this view.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the key substance in Tylenol - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to manage pain and fever, which can create serious health risks if left untreated.

"In more than two decades of studies on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the use of paracetamol in any stage of gestation leads to neurological conditions in offspring," the group stated.

The court filing cites current declarations from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.

Last month, the former president caused concern from health experts when he told women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when ill.

The FDA then published an announcement that doctors should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in children has not been proven.

Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would establish the origin of autism in a matter of months.

But experts cautioned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.

Autism is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that affects how persons perceive and engage with the environment, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is seeking US Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

This legal action seeks to make the corporations "eliminate any promotional materials" that states acetaminophen is secure for pregnant women.

The court case mirrors the grievances of a group of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.

Judicial authorities rejected the case, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.