In recent years, multiple women and families have filed birth defect lawsuits in pursuit of compensation for expenses and suffering caused by birth defects born to babies whose mothers used antiseizure drugs, such as Neurontin, during pregnancy.

Neurontin and Pregnancy

Neurontin (gabapentin)
, the anticonvulsant drug manufactured by Pfizer Inc., was introduced in 1994 as an antiseizure medication. The FDA uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. The Neurontin pregnancy category given by the FDA is “C.”

Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant women but that do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Also, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals are automatically given a pregnancy Category C rating.

According to the FDA, antiseizure drugs, such as Neurontin, are Pregnancy Category C and may not be safe for pregnant women, although the full risks are not known at this time due to a lack of information about the drug’s affect on a woman during pregnancy. In studies that looked at the effects of Neurontin during pregnancy in animals, the drug caused several problems.

Studies of Neurontin pregnancy use in rodents suggest that the drug may delay the growth and development of the fetus (especially affecting the bones). When given to pregnant rats, Neurontin caused problems in the kidneys and urinary tract. When given to pregnant rabbits, it increased the risk of miscarriages.

Neurontin Birth Defects

All epilepsy drugs carry some risk of birth defects. However, epileptic seizures themselves can also cause damage to a fetus, and an article about seizure medications and pregnancy birth defects featured in the The Los Angeles Times states that “managing a pregnancy in an epileptic woman has generally involved walking a fine line between controlling seizures and reducing developmental problems.”

While newer epilepsy medications, such as Neurontin, may carry a lower risk of birth defects, serious physical and developmental birth defects have been reported in babies born to women who used Neurontin during pregnancy, including:

• Cleft lip
• Cleft palate
• Heart birth defects
• Nervous system defects
• Gastrointestinal defects
• Defects to the reproductive system

While epilepsy drugs like Neurontin are believed to be less likely to cause birth defects, the truth is that these drugs are still under investigation by the Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry and the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, among others.

Neurontin Birth Defect Lawsuits

Neurontin birth defect lawsuits are being filed by women and families after their children are born with serious birth defects due to exposure to Neurontin in the womb. While pregnant women with epilepsy often require a drug like Neurontin to prevent seizures which could harm them or their developing babies, many women are not aware of the risk of birth defects associated with this drug.

Some of these women who have given birth to babies with birth defects after taking the seizure medication Neurontin claim that they would have made different medical decisions had they been properly informed of the risk of birth defects linked to this drug.