Couple Says Children’s Tylenol Killed 2-Year-Old Son, Sues Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson isn’t exactly winning over parents these days. In November, the world’s largest healthcare company came under fire for manufacturing baby shampoo made with carcinogens. Now a Washington state couple is suing the company, alleging their 2-year-old son was killed after taking a defective dose of Children’s Tylenol from a batch that had been recalled, reports the Associated Press.
Daniel and Katy Moore say they gave their child Very Berry Strawberry flavored Children’s Tylenol, by Johnson & Johnson, for a slight fever in July 2010. Thirty minutes later, he began spitting up blood and though he was rushed to the hospital, the boy died the following day of liver failure.
”His liver enzymes were three times the normal level,” said the Moores’ lawyer Joseph Messa. He told the AP that the Tylenol contained excessive acetaminophen that damaged the child’s liver and caused him to die. “We believe it was a super dose.
Johnson & Johnson, meanwhile, said that its 2010 recalls of children’s products were not related to the ”serious adverse events or cases of overdose” alleged in the lawsuit, and that it promptly notified consumers, doctors, retailers and regulators about the recall. In a statement issued at the time, the company called the recall a “precautionary measure” and said “the potential for serious medical events is remote.” The Moores claims these warnings were “inadequate.”
A few weeks ago we wrote about a 10-day-old Missouri boy who died from a rare bacterial infection after consuming Enfamil baby formula; the formula was sent to CDC for testing and was found free of the bacterial blamed for the infant’s death. Still, when news broke that formula could have caused this tragic death, parents everywhere went into panic mode. Fortunately, the formula was not to blame but it still left parents feeling vulnerable. I think many people have a similar feeling with this latest news story on Children’s Tylenol. I know it’s the first thing I reach for when my children have a high fever, and I don’t think twice about its safety.
The J&J lawsuit was filed last Friday, so it’ll be some time before this case is settled. Regardless of the outcome, it’s a sad and tragic story, one that once again makes us feel vulnerable as parents.
