Infertility can be an emotionally draining diagnosis that affects roughly 6 million women in the United States. Many women seeking medical assistance in an effort to become pregnant are prescribed Clomid, which is effective up to 20 percent of the time.

The fertility treatment stimulates hormones that release eggs from an ovary, which in turn increases the likelihood of becoming pregnant. However, the fertility drug may inadvertently put unborn children at a significantly higher risk of developing Clomid birth defects, according to recent studies.

A clinical study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that women who took the fertility drug Clomid while pregnant had a 300 percent greater chance of having a child born with a birth defect as compared to non-users. The study showed that Clomid can remain in the system for weeks after a woman discontinues use, which may inadvertently cause fetal exposure in the early stages of pregnancy. 

Medical experts claim that while Clomid may help with conception, it should only be used for a short amount of time and only under physician supervision. Clomid is labeled as an FDA pregnancy category X drug due to its known ability to produce birth defects in both animals and humans. Medical studies have also shown a spontaneous abortion rate of up to 22 percent in Clomid consumers.

Some of the most reported Clomid birth defects include:

• Cleft palate
• Club foot
• Down syndrome
• Congenital heart abnormalities
• Conjoined twins
• Spina bifida
• Anencephaly (absence of parts of the brain or skull)
• Septal heart defects (hole in the heart)
• Omphalocele (organs outside of the body)
• Esophageal atresia (closed esophagus)
• Craniosyntosis (the premature fusion of an infant’s skull sutures)

Researchers have also linked Clomid to a 10 percent greater chance of conceiving twins, which can carry other complications.

Infertility Drug Investigation

Due to recent studies showing Clomid may increase the risk of life-threatening birth defects including heart and skull deformities, a class action lawsuit investigation has been launched.  Numerous women across the country have filed Clomid lawsuits claiming the manufacturer did not adequately warn consumers about the birth defect risks linked to the medication. Investigators have also discovered that many women obtain the fertility drug online without a prescription, which indicates use without any medical supervision.

Some plaintiffs filing Clomid lawsuits claim they were prescribed Clomid for other uses including menstrual irregularities, male infertility, or longer breast milk production, which is not an FDA approved use.

Clomid birth defect lawsuits help plaintiffs recover from the medical costs of treating the serious health conditions caused by the medication. In addition, Clomid lawyers seek compensation for patients’ pain and suffering related to taking this medication. If you took Clomid in order to become pregnant and later had a child born with any of these serious birth defects, you may have legal claim.