Although fertility drugs like Clomid can assist many women becoming pregnant, they can also cause severe side effects for both the patient and even for the unborn child, as Clomid has been known to cause birth defects in-utero. Women who have used Clomid and later gave birth to a child suffering from one or more Clomid birth defects should consider filing a Clomid birth defects lawsuit or joining a birth defects class action lawsuit investigation.

What is Clomid?

Clomid is an oral, non-steroidal fertility treatment that can be taken by women experiencing difficulty conceiving in order to induce ovulation. Clomid is also sold under other names like Serophene, clomifene, and clomiphene citrate, and it is the first line drug prescribed to women wishing to become pregnant. When women use Clomid, the fertility drug can sometimes cause multiple ovulations and therefore also result in multiple births. Consumers are also warned about the possible risk of ovarian cancer and weight gain when taking Clomid. However, many still remain in the dark about the number and nature of certain Clomid birth defects side effects.

CDC Study Suggests Link Between Clomid and Birth Defects

Between 1997 and 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study on the use of clomiphene citrate and the number of children born with birth defects. This CDC study later became known as the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This data was later used by another birth defects study using a population-based multi-site case controlled research tactic to investigate birth defects.

According to this birth defects study, women from 10 different regions of the United States who gave birth to children with birth defects between October 1997 and December 2005 were interviewed. Women who became pregnant using assisted reproductive technology were excluded, though the researchers did study women who took Clomid two months before conception and through one month of pregnancy. The results of this Clomid birth defects study remained inconclusive, although at least 36 different types of birth defects were observed and at least three coincided with Clomid use.

Possible Clomid Birth Defects and Side Effects

Clomid has been categorized by the FDA as a Category X Drug, which indicates that animal or human studies have yielded results demonstrating the drug can cause fetal abnormalities or puts the fetus’ health at risk. With these types of drugs, the perceived benefits may be outweighed by the potential risks, as is the claim of many Clomid birth defects lawsuits.

According to recent birth defects studies and Clomid lawsuits, some birth defects associated with the use of Clomid to induce pregnancy include:

• Congenital heart lesions
• Down’s syndrome
• Club foot
• Cleft lip and/or cleft palate
• Undescended testes in males
• Blindness
• Spina bifida
• Hernia
• Malformations
• Lifelong disability
• Death

In addition to these possible Clomid birth defects, some Clomid side effects women may experiencing when using this fertility treatment include:

• Enlarged ovaries
• Hot flashes
• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Changes in vision

Women who took Clomid in order to induce ovulation and later gave birth to child with Clomid birth defects, or had a birth defect complicate their child’s delivery, should consider filing a Clomid lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturer.