Is a Clomid Class Action Lawsuit on the Horizon?

Recent medical studies have suggested an association between Clomid, a common fertility drug, to birth defects. Specifically, mothers on Clomid may cause children to have heart defects, esophageal atresia and brain injuries. Our lawyers are investigating potential lawsuits involving Clomid and birth defects around the country.

We have made a lot of progress in helping women get pregnant who otherwise can’t. Clomid is believed to be a part of the solution. Clomid (Clomiphene citrate) is an oral fertility medication which has been available for use for over 40 years. Clomiphene citrate may also be sold under the brand name Serophene. Clomid is usually prescribed to women with ovulatory dysfunction. Clomid is used to induce ovulation in women who do not ovulate but wish to become pregnant. Similar to estrogen, Clomid causes eggs to develop/mature in the ovaries and be released. It is estimated that 1.6% of pregnancies in the US are conceived using Clomid.

It is advised that Clomid not be administered during pregnancy as it can cause fetal harm. But that might now solve the problem. Clomid accumulates in the body and can be detected in the blood up to a month after its discontinuation. Multiple studies have suggested a link between Clomid and birth defects. The following fetal abnormalities found in post-market surveillance for Clomid:

• delayed development
• abnormal bone development including skeletal malformations of the skull, face, nasal passages, jaw, hand, limb (ectromelia including amelia, hemimelia, and phocomelia), foot, and joints
• tissue malformations including imperforate anus, tracheoesophageal fistula, diaphragmatic hernia, renal agenesis and dysgenesis, and malformations of the eye and lens (cataract), ear, lung, heart (ventricular septal defect and tetralogy of Fallot), and genitalia
• dwarfism
• deafness
• mental retardation
• chromosomal disorders
• neural tube defects (including anencephaly).

In 2010, researchers from the CDC published a study in the journal Human Reproduction (2010) that substantiated some of the findings of previous researchers as well as finding possible new links between some birth defects and Clomid.

Researchers at the CDC are trying to figure out just what we are dealing with here. They are using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) in order to determine the connection between Clomid and birth defects. The NBDPS is an ongoing population based study of major birth defects caused by unknown sources. Women who had used during the 2 month period prior to or first month of pregnancy were included in the analysis and those using Clomid with other combinations of fertility drugs were excluded. Of the 19,059 mothers of children with birth defects and 6807 mothers of children without birth defects that were interviewed, 440 women had reported use of Clomid. This study on Clomid has been found to have a significant association with nine types of birth defects:

• Dandy Walker malformation
• muscular VSD
• cloacal exstrophy
• anencephaly
• septal heart defects
• coarctation of aorta
• esophageal atresia
• craniosynostosis
• omphalocele
CDC researchers feel like they need to confirm this data to draw conclusions. Though the incidence rate for birth defects is relatively low, the serious impact that such defects can have in a child supports the need for further research on this drug to better understand potential links between Clomid and birth defects, so that patients can be properly advised on the risks of taking Clomid.

If you believe you and your child may have a potential Clomid birth defect lawsuit, get a free on-line consultation from our law firm.

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