Clomid

Women who become pregnant during or after treatment with the fertility drug Clomid may have a three-times greater risk of giving birth to babies with severe, life-threatening birth defects, including spina bifida, heart defects and gastrointestinal malformations. If you took Clomid just before or during pregnancy, and your child was born with a serious congenital defect, contact a knowledgeable Clomid attorney today to discuss the possibility of filing a birth defect lawsuit against the drug manufacturing company, Sanofi-Aventis.

History of Clomid

Early research found a connection between Clomid and fetal harm, and a 1991 review of scientific literature indicated that women who became pregnant after taking Clomid experienced a spontaneous abortion rate of 16-22%, meaning nearly one in five pregnancies was lost. In recent years, additional studies have been done, examining the potential connection between Clomid and birth defects.

In a study published in the journal Human Reproduction in 2010, researchers found a link between the use of Clomid in early pregnancy and the birth defects anencephaly, septal heart defects, esophageal atresia, Dandy-Walker malformation, craniosynostosis, omphalocele and coarctation of aorta. The Human Reproduction study was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and involved women who took Clomid during the two months prior to becoming pregnant and for the month following conception. This risk is of such high concern that Clomid has been categorized by the FDA as a pregnancy Category X medication, which means it is known to cause birth defects in babies exposed to the drug in utero.

Reported Birth Defects Associated with Clomid

Cleft lip
Cleft palate
Heart malformations
Skull defects
Hypospadias

Gastrointestinal defects
Limb defects
Spina bifida
Neural tube malformations

Clomid has been categorized by the FDA as a pregnancy Category X medication, which means it is known to cause birth defects in babies exposed to the drug in utero.

Reported Birth Defects Associated with Clomid

Cleft lip
Cleft palate
Heart malformations
Skull defects
Hypospadias

Gastrointestinal defects
Limb defects
Spina bifida
Neural tube malformations

What is Clomid?

Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is a non-steroidal ovulatory stimulant administered orally to women who wish to become pregnant, but are unable to produce ova (eggs). Manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis and approved by the FDA in 1967, Clomid is similar to the natural female hormone estrogen, and works by inducing ovulation and causing a woman’s ovaries to release an egg. While Clomid can be effective in helping infertile women get pregnant, the fertility drug may also increase the risk of birth defects in babies whose mothers take Clomid just before or during pregnancy. According to reports, even after Clomid has successfully fertilized ovulation, the medication may remain in the mother’s system well into the initial weeks of pregnancy, possibly putting the fetus at risk for congenital malformations.

Reasons Clomid Users Are Filing Lawsuits

Clomid birth defect lawsuits may allege:

Sanofi-Aventis manufactured a defective and unreasonably dangerous fertility drug.
The drug maker knew about the potential for Clomid to cause birth defects in babies.
The drug maker failed to provide adequate warnings about this birth defect risk.
The drug maker marketed Clomid as a safe and effective fertility treatment for women who wish to become pregnant.
The drug maker overstated the benefits of Clomid and downplayed its risks.
The drug maker failed to warn that the risk of birth defects may outweigh the drugs fertility benefits.

Clomid Lawsuit Information

In light of the potential for Clomid to cause devastating birth defects in babies whose mothers take the fertility drug before or during pregnancy, product liability lawyers are investigating claims on behalf of women across the country who became pregnant during or shortly after Clomid treatment and gave birth to a baby with a heart defect, spina bifida, or another serious malformation. The risk with Clomid lies in the potential for the medication to remain in a woman’s bloodstream for an extended period of time, even after she becomes pregnant, thereby presenting a serious risk during the critical first trimester of a fetus’ development.

Families with children born with serious birth defects after being exposed to Clomid during pregnancy may be eligible for financial compensation for their child’s current and future medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and any permanent disability occurring as a result of the malformation.