According to a study performed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the popular fertility treatment known as Clomid has been linked with an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers used the fertility drug.

As a result, birth defect attorneys are now seeking mothers who were prescribed Clomid and later gave birth to a child with serious birth defects, in order to pursue Clomid lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer.

What is Clomid?

Clomid, which is also sold under the brand name Serophene and also under the generic name clomiphene-citrate, is a fertility drug categorized as an ovulatory stimulant, which works similarly to estrogen by encouraging a woman’s ovaries to create and release eggs for conception. This fertility treatment comes in a tablet form and is usually taken once a day for five days during a woman’s cycle.

While Clomid’s primary function is to help women who are having trouble getting pregnant, it is also occasionally prescribed to treat other conditions like male infertility, menstrual abnormalities, and fibrocystic breasts.

Despite Clomid’s popularity, the FDA has labeled this drug as a Category X medication, indicating the agency found evidence (most likely through animal drug testing) that Clomid has the ability to cause birth defects when used by pregnant women.

The FDA concluded that one way to reduce the possibility of Clomid birth defects includes appropriate testing and close monitoring with a medical professional during a Clomid treatment cycle. This close monitoring is needed so that fertility drug prescription can be discontinued as soon as ovulation occurs. This reduces the fetus’ contact with the clomiphene drug, and therefore also reduces the risk of birth defects, as they are likely to develop during the first trimester.

Possible Clomid Birth Defects

The CDC conducted a birth defects study that pulled data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, the largest birth defects study conducted in the United States to date, in order to determine if there exists a link between Clomid and birth defects. The agency found that mothers who took Clomid or Serophene were more likely to give birth to children with certain types of birth defects, including:

• Anencephaly (open cranium and the lack of a brain)
• Esophageal atresia (underdeveloped or closed esophagus)
• Omphalocele (a condition in which babies are born with intestines on the outside or protruding from their belly button)
• Craniosynotosis (premature skull bone fusion)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Limb Reduction Deficit
• Three types of Heart Defects

It is important to note that the CDC did point out that the results of this study are not conclusive. However, women using Clomid should be aware of the fact that birth defects are possible when using this fertility drug and should only take it under a doctor’s supervision.

Pharmaceutical companies have a duty to warn consumers of all the risks involved with taking their drug. If you gave birth to a child suffering from birth defects and took Clomid in order to help with fertility, then you should consider filing a Clomid lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturers.