An Alabama woman recently filed a Zofran pregnancy lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline on behalf of her minor child, alleging that Zofran use during pregnancy led to significant birth defects for her child.

The Zofran pregnancy lawsuit claims that the plaintiff mother, Angela M., began taking Zofran at the instruction of her doctor in the first trimester of her pregnancy to treat morning sickness.

Angela’s daughter was born in 2010 with congenital heart defects, and the Zofran pregnancy lawsuit alleges that GlaxoSmithKline is responsible for these problems.

According to physician’s records, the child was born with congenital heart defects including transposition of the greater arteries and atrial septal defect.

The birth defects that Angela’s daughter was born with are a direct result of being exposed to Zofran during the first trimester of the plaintiff’s pregnancy, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also alleges that GlaxoSmithKline knew about an increased risk of birth defects linked with Zofran pregnancy treatment, but actively concealed this information from both the public and the medical community.

The Zofran pregnancy lawsuit fclaims that, had Angela or her physician known about a link between Zofran side effects and birth defects, she would not have used Zofran during pregnancy with her child.

The Zofran pregnancy lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and several other counts.

Background of Zofran

Zofran (ondansetron) is a drug from GlaxoSmithKline used to treat severe nausea. While Zofran was approved in 1991 to treat severe nausea from chemotherapy or radiation treatment, it is commonly prescribed off-label to treat severe morning sickness in pregnant women.

However, Zofran side effects allegedly carry an increased risk of birth defects in the unborn children of women who take the drug as an anti-nausea treatment.

Studies on animals from as far back as the 1980s show a link between Zofran during pregnancy and birth defects in the offspring. The drug is capable of crossing the placenta barrier to the child, exposing the child to Zofran before birth.

More recently, studies have shown a similar connection between Zofran pregnancy and birth defects in human children.

Zofran Pregnancy Lawsuits

Zofran pregnancy lawsuits allege that GlaxoSmithKline either knew or should have known about the risk of birth defects linked with their anti-nausea drug and taken measures to protect mothers and their unborn children from these potentially serious side effects.

However, Zofran pregnancy lawsuits claim that not only did GlaxoSmithKline fail to warn the public and the medical community about the risks of Zofran, but even actively marketed Zofran for off-label morning sickness treatment.

A growing number of plaintiffs who used Zofran during pregnancy are filing lawsuits after their children were born with birth defects.

A Zofran pregnancy lawsuit cannot negate the pain and suffering of birth defects, but it can help with financial expenses often caused by medical bills from treatment and surgery.

If you or someone you know has given birth to a child with birth defects after using Zofran during pregnancy, you may be able to file a Zofran pregnancy lawsuit.

The Zofran Pregnancy Birth Defects Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-13784-FDS, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.