Neurontin (gabapentin) has been linked to birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

Personal injury attorneys are investigating claims in hopes of recovering monetary compensation for victims who took Neurontin for chronic pain management while pregnant and suffered gabapentin pregnancy side effects as a result.

Neurontin is an anticonvulsant medication traditionally used to treat epileptic seizures, but increasingly has been prescribed to women to treat bipolar disorder, restless leg syndrome and chronic pain.

It is fairly common for medical professionals to prescribe gabapentin for off-label (non-U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved) uses, such as in treatment for chronic nerve pain. Gabapentin nerve pain treatments can include patients suffering from shingles (a painful rash caused by the herpes zoster infection), diabetic neuropathy (damage to the nerves due to diabetes), peripheral neuropathy (a disorder of the nerves other than the brain and spinal cord), and trigeminal neuralgia (inflammation of the facial nerves causing intense facial pain and tics).

Overview of Gabapentin Nerve Pain Birth Defects

According to multiple studies older generations of anticonvulsant drugs can double or triple the risk of birth defects in women taking these medications during pregnancy. For many women, going without these medications can cause other serious side effects not only to the fetus but to the pregnant mother.

A study performed by researchers at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen looked at birth defect rates in children born in between 1996 and 2008. The study showed that mothers taking newer generation anticonvulsant drugs (often used to treat chronic pain) generally did not face an increased risk of birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

Researchers found insufficient data existed to reach this same conclusion in regard to gabapentin. According to the FDA’s categorization system, Neurontin should only be used by pregnant women when potential benefits outweigh the risks.

Gabapentin pregnancy birth defects may include cleft palate, craniosynostosis (skull malformations), heart defects, hydrouter, hypospadias (an abnormality of the opening of the urethra in boys), polydactyly (extra fingers and toes), spina bifida, as well as other congenital defects. Many of these birth defects are extremely serious and often require the child to receive extensive medical treatment and monitoring.

Patients who used Neurontin for pain management during their pregnancy may have a legal claim against the drug manufacturer. Drug companies are required by law to disclose on medication labels all risks associated with taking the drugs.

Companies that fail to disclose all associated risks are denying medical professionals and consumers the opportunity to make educated medical decisions concerning their treatment. This can be a violation of consumer protection laws and plaintiffs could bring claims for negligence, failure to warn, breach of warranty, product liability, fraud, and deceit.

Settlements and awards from these birth defect lawsuits may help victims pay off past and future medical bills, and serve as compensation for the physical and emotional pain and suffering victims had to endure.