Clomid helps couples conceive despite having infertility problems, but the same medication is also associated with an increased risk of birth defects.

Since 1967, couples having difficulty conceiving a child have had the option of trying Clomid, also sold under the brand name Serophene and under its generic name clomiphene.

Clomid can be an effective remedy for infertility caused by a lack of ovulation in the mother. It works by releasing certain hormones in the pituitary gland that stimulate ovulation.

The problem with Clomid is that, even while it promotes conception, its continued presence in the mother’s body threatens the health of the resulting embryo. Clomid can stop the development of blood vessels in a developing fetus. Because of the risks Clomid creates for the developing embryo, the FDA places it in pregnancy category X – meaning that the risks of using the drug during pregnancy clearly outweigh the benefits.

Therefore Clomid dosing must be monitored and timed correctly so that it doesn’t remain in the mother’s body after fertilization. Taking Clomid unsupervised creates the greatest risk of birth defects.

One study examined the results from over 300,000 births in Australia between 1986 and 2002. Researchers found that Clomid taken without adequate medical supervision resulted in a 300 percent greater risk of birth defects.

Unfortunately, not all users of Clomid get adequate medical supervision. Some women seeking to get pregnant buy Clomid online and take it on their own, either without or against medical advice.

Clomid Birth Defects

Studies show that taking Clomid during pregnancy may be linked to the following birth defects:

• Congenital heart defects: These can include atrial or ventral septal defects and malformations of the heart valves. Treatment may require open-heart surgery. Heart defects that remain through childhood and into adulthood can result in hampered development of the entire body, reduced exercise tolerance, difficulty breathing, and increased risk of stroke.
• Neural tube defects: These defects include anencephaly, a condition in which the brain tissue fails to develop. Anencephaly is ultimately fatal. Another example of this type of defect is spina bifida occulta, a developmental defect in which the bones of the spine fail to close around the spinal cord, leaving it exposed.
• Down syndrome: This defect leads to delayed physical and mental development. Intellectual development in particular may be limited: the average IQ of a child with Down syndrome is half that of an average normal child. Such children may also exhibit autistic behavior, and they are at a greater risk for depression. They tend to be shorter and are at greater risk for obesity. Children with Down syndrome often also develop hearing loss, poor vision, heart defects, thyroid problems, and/or diabetes.
• Other physical deformities: Such deformities can include cleft lip (or harelip), cleft palate, conjoined twins, club foot, extra fingers or toes, fusion of fingers or toes, dislocation or instability in the hip joints, skin disorders, inguinal hernia or umbilical hernia, undescended testes, malformations of the gastroesophageal tract, and abnormal development of any of the internal organs.