A study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has discovered a link between the fertility medication Clomid and birth defects.

Clomid is one of the most popular fertility treatments that is effective in 20 percent of women who seek medical assistance in trying to conceive. However, according to the recent study, fetal exposure to the fertility drug may increase the likelihood of developing a heart, skull or other severe birth defect by 300 percent.

An estimated 6 million women in the U.S. are diagnosed with infertility and are often prescribed some form of fertility treatment. Medical experts warn that timing is everything when using Clomid. Since the medication can stay in the system for several weeks even after patients stop taking it, there’s a chance of increased risk of Clomid birth defects if not stopped early enough.

The fertility drug Clomid works by stimulating the hormones that release eggs from an ovary, which in turn increases the likelihood of getting pregnant. Clomid patients are often monitored closely while taking the fertility drug in order to reduce the risk of birth defects, but Clomid is also available online at a lower cost, which has led to some women taking the medication without any monitoring.

Clomid Birth Defects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has labeled Clomid as a Category X for use during pregnancy. This means that the drug is known to produce birth defects in both animals and humans and “the risks involved in the use of the drug in pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits.”

The most commonly reported Clomid birth defects are:

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

Medical studies have also found that Clomid carries a 20 percent spontaneous abortion rate and a 10 percent greater chance of conceiving twins, which carries its own complications.

Clomid Birth Defects Lawsuit Investigation

A Clomid birth defect class action lawsuit investigation has been launched due to the recent findings that the infertility drug carries a significant risk of birth defects. Millions of women have been prescribed Clomid to assist pregnancy but those filing Clomid lawsuits claim the manufacturers did not adequately warn that the drug that could help them in trying to conceive could harm their unborn child.

While most Clomid lawsuits are filed by women who took the fertility drug during pregnancy, there are some plaintiffs who file because they were prescribed Clomid for non-approved FDA uses including: male infertility, longer breast milk production, or menstrual irregularities.

Birth defect lawyers seek to help patients financially recover from the medical costs of treating these severe and often life-threatening medical conditions. In addition, Clomid lawyers attempt to get their plaintiffs restitution for pain and suffering. 

If you were prescribed Clomid and later had a child born with a birth defect, contact an attorney to see if you have legal claim.