A New Jersey Clomid lawsuit or Serophene lawsuit may be an option for women who took the fertility drug and had a child with birth defects. Medical advances over the past few decades have resulted in the development of options for women who have difficulty getting pregnant. Drug manufacturers are required to perform rigorous testing and provide educational material about the possible side effects of these treatments. However, long-range studies are now indicating that a common fertility drug may be related to higher than average incidence of birth defects. Affected families may be eligible to seek compensation for damages with the help of a New Jersey Clomid attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for New Jersey today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated New Jersey Clomid lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Is Clomiphene?
Clomiphene is used to induce ovulation in women and is in a class of medications called ovulatory stimulants. It works similarly to estrogen, a female hormone that causes eggs to develop in the ovaries and be released. Clomiphene is also prescribed as an off-label medication to men to treat secondary hypogonadism (a condition where the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone). Clomiphene is also known by the brand names Clomid and Serophene.
Clomiphene Study
In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began a study concerning the use of clomiphene citrate and its relation to birth defects. Researchers found that the incidence of certain birth defects were much higher in women who had used clomiphene and the rate of use correlated with the level of risk. While previous studies had also noted many of these related birth defects, there were also some new issues that were not connected with clomiphene use before this study.
Clomid and Birth Defects
Mothers of children with the following birth defects said they used clomiphene citrate more often than mothers of children without birth defects:
- Esophageal atresia: Improper development of the esophagus preventing normal digestion.
- Omphalocele: A hole in the navel area which allows the intestines to be outside of the body, covered by only a thin layer of tissue.
- Anencephaly: A neural tube defect that leaves the baby missing sections of the skull and brain.
- Craniosyntosis: The baby’s skull joints close prematurely, preventing the brain from growing normally.
- Coarctation of the aorta: Aortic blood vessels are improperly narrowed, requiring the heart to pump harder than normal.
- Septal heart defects: The atrial wall in the upper chamber of the heart forms abnormally, causing a hole to remain.
Researchers also found possible links between clomiphene use and previously unassociated birth defects, including cloacal exstrophy, Dandy-Walker malformation and muscular ventricular septal defect.
Clomid and Autism
Studies have also identified a possible link between the use of Clomid and autism. Two studies reported in TIME magazine, one from a team of Harvard researchers and one from a group of Israeli scientists, each found that infertility drugs may increase the risk of a child developing autism. While maternal age can also be a factor, separating the data to accommodate this detail still indicated almost double the risk for developing the disorder. The Israeli study specifically found that while the percentage of children with autism in the country’s general population was 3.5, the percentage of children at an autism center whose mothers had been treated with ovulation-inducing drugs measured at 10.2 percent.
Visual Side Effects
In addition to effects to the unborn child, Clomid can also have adverse side effects for the woman taking it. In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required the labeling to be changed on the medicine to include warnings about visual symptoms reported in patients. The issues include the following:
- Light spots
- Flashes
- Blurring
The likelihood of experiencing these visual changes was connected to increased dosage and prolonged use of the medicine. In most cases, the adverse reactions reversed once treatment stopped, but it is unknown whether these side effects cause long term damage. The FDA also stated that patients who began taking this drug before the correlation was discovered may have lingering visual damage stemming from use.
New Jersey Clomid Lawsuits are Expected
After discovering the evidence from researchers that Clomid and Serophene may cause serious birth defects and autism, parents of affected children are starting to take legal action and file lawsuits against the drug maker, Sanofi Aventis. One woman in Utah filed a lawsuit against the makers of Clomid claiming that her adult son’s congenitally dislocated elbow was a result of her being prescribed the fertility drug. Her lawsuit cites evidence that rabbits and rats were born with birth defects during a study on the drug that was conducted in the 1960s and yet the company failed to warn physicians about the risks.
How a New Jersey Clomid Lawsuit Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by bad drugs may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for New Jersey. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
