In 1991, the popular anti-nausea medication Zofran received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The drug was initially intended for use in surgical patients as well as cancer patients needing chemotherapy treatments. However, evidence began to surface that babies whose mothers used Zofran during pregnancy were being born with birth defects.
Contact Attorney Group for Iowa today to learn more about filing an Iowa Zofran birth defects lawsuit if you feel that your Zofran use during pregnancy caused your child to develop cleft lip, cleft palate, or heart defects.
Zofran Linked to Birth Defects
While Zofran was approved to help chemotherapy patients as well as those requiring surgical procedures, its anti-nausea properties were also found to be beneficial to pregnant women suffering from severe morning sickness. Although the FDA has not approved nor tested Zofran for use in women who are expecting, many doctors, allegedly at the prompting of the drug’s manufacture, GlaxoSmithKline, began prescribing the drug “off-label.” However, studies suggest that babies born to women who took Zofran during pregnancy are two times more likely to be born with cleft palate, heart defects, and cleft lip, and have a 30 percent overall increased risk of birth defects.
Lawsuits Can Compensate Families
Women and families who believe that the use of Zofran during pregnancy resulted in their babies being born with heart murmurs, heart defects such as atrial or ventricular septal defects, or cleft lips and palates are encouraged to seek legal counsel from a personal injury attorney to determine whether they may be eligible to file an Iowa Zofran birth defects lawsuit.
In July 2012, GlaxoSmithKline reached a $3 billion settlement with the Justice Department to settle accusations that the company paid physicians to prescribe Zoloft to pregnant women, despite the fact that the medication and its effects on unborn babies had not yet been tested nor determined.
Questions About Zofran Lawsuits? Call Today.
If you took Zofran while pregnant and you gave birth child with a heart defect, cleft palate, or cleft lip, contact Attorney Group for Iowa for a free comprehensive case evaluation. There are no out-of-pocket costs to speak with us, and we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you in filing your Iowa Zofran birth defects lawsuit. You could be eligible to recover damages for medical bills for reconstructive surgeries as well, as pain and suffering for your child.
