Many women and families may begin to file Clomid birth defects lawsuits against drug maker Sanofi US, alleging that the fertility drug causes birth defects.

Since the 1980s, women who were having fertility problems have turned to Clomid (generic, serophene) to increase the chances of conceiving a child. This drug works by manipulating the hormones of the woman to induce ovulation and increase egg production.

Unfortunately, numerous studies have found that women who have used Clomid were much more likely to give birth to babies with birth defects. According to medical experts, these events may be occurring because many women use this drug without medical supervision and often misjudge the dosing schedule.

Medical experts say that it is important that women only try to conceive a child when Clomid is completely out of their bodies. To make matters worse, studies indicate that many women can buy Clomid online without a prescription, which means that thousands of women may be taking Clomid without any medical supervision or assistance. Experts state that women often resort to this because they cannot afford a prescription.

Overview of Clomid Birth Defects Study

Studies have found that the risk of birth defects occurring with Clomid use is so high, that babies are 300 percent more likely to be born with birth defects than naturally conceived infants.

The medical journal “Human Reproduction” had published a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which observed the correlation between Clomid and birth defects. This study lasted from 1997 to 2005, which had used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This was a population-based study that looked at infants born with birth defects, whose mother lived in the region of the study.

Ultimately, the study indicated that Clomid carried the highest likelihood of causing birth defects to develop in fetuses. However, the conducting scientists warn that these results could be inaccurate as it is based on a small number of women who used Clomid.

Additionally, it is difficult to determine the accuracy of the results because the dose amounts between them were different, as were their biological conditions that made the women infertile. Furthermore, additional studies are needed to determine the true risk of Clomid birth defects, and what exactly is causing them.

This CDC study was one of the largest studies observing fertility drugs and birth defects in the United States. This study did not include women who used reproductive technologies like invitro fertilization. In the study, there are several birth defects noted that appeared more often than others including:

• Anencephaly — baby born without a full brain or skull
• Craniosyntosis — premature fusion of the baby’s skull
• Esophageal Atresia — baby born without a full esophagus
• Omphalocele — baby’s abdominal organs are outside of body
• Septal Heart Defect — hole in the wall of the heart

Due to the severe risk of birth defects, the FDA warned physicians against prescribing Clomid to women. In fact, the agency has labeled Clomid and generic serophene as a “Category X” drug, due to strong evidence of causing harm to the fetus. Drugs only are listed as a Category X if the risk of using them outweighs the benefits for pregnant women.

According to legal sources, the risk of birth defects were not adequately described on Clomid’s warning label, which led to the growing likelihood of Clomid birth defects lawsuits, in which women may claim that certain manufacturing companies, including Sanofi Aventis, had failed to protect them against the risks of their product.