In a recent study, a correlation has been noted between Clomiphene, also known as clomifene and distributed under the names Clomid and Serophene, and certain birth defects. These birth defects often affect the head and the heart of newborn children, and the parents and families of affected children may be eligible to file an Oklahoma Clomid lawsuit due to the risks and side effects associated with the drug.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma 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 attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Clomiphene?
Originally used to treat anovulation, Clomiphene is a fertility medication used to induce ovulation in women who cannot develop and release eggs. Although Clomiphene treatment has yielded high success rates, there is a correlation between certain side effects and use of the medication.
Side effects and risks of the drug include the following:
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Multiple pregnancies
- Certain congenital birth defects
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Headaches
- Hot flashes
How Does Clomiphene Work?
Clomiphene is an oral medication used to stimulate ovulation in women who are unable to produce eggs but wish to become pregnant. It works by acting on the estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain responsible for hormone production. Clomiphene is also prescribed as an off-label medication to treat male infertility and increase sperm production. “Off-label” use of clomiphene to treat male infertility has been neither tested nor approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Clomiphene Birth Defect Risks
Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a study reported on by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the journal Human Reproduction indicated a correlation between a small number of women who used Clomiphene to treat infertility and serious congenital birth defects. Birth defects affecting those children include defects that affect the head, heart, and limbs of the child (Reefhuis, Honein, Schieve, Rasmussen, and NBDPS).
Based on findings of the CDC study, the following problems have been associated with children of mothers who used Clomiphene in greater numbers than children of mothers who did not use the fertility treatment:
- Prior birth defects associated with Clomiphene use include neutral tube defects (NTDs), hypospadias, and craniosynostosis
- Significant associations between Clomiphene and anencephaly (unusual brain and skull development), Dandy-Walker malformation (brain malformation of the cerebellum), septal heart defects (unusual connection between the lower ventricles of the heart), muscular ventricular heart defects (hole in the wall of the heart’s lower chambers), coarctation of the aorta (narrowing of the aorta), esophageal atresia (underdeveloped esophagus), and cloacal exstrophy (unusual position of the large intestine)
One or more surgeries may be required to treat these and other birth defects, often resulting in large medical costs to the child’s parents and family. In addition to initial surgical procedures, the child may need multiple medical procedures within the first three years of their life, especially in the case of those birth defects affecting the heart.
Fertility Drugs and Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can refer to a wide range of symptoms, skills and levels of impairment or disability that are present in conditions known as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). In 2010, a study administered by a team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reported an association between ovulation inducing treatment and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). According to an article in Time reporting on the study, the association between fertility drugs such as Clomid and autism also appeared to strengthen with exposure.
Other Clomid Side Effects
According to the FDA, other side effects have been reportedly linked to pregnancies following ovulation induction therapy with Clomid during clinical trials:
- Cleft palate
- Visual disorders
- Club foot
- Harelip
- Multiple pregnancy
- Down syndrome
- Spina bifida
How an Oklahoma Clomid Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by Clomid may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications after taking Clomid, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe side effects after taking Clomid, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the drug, are encouraged to seek the advice of an Oklahoma Clomid lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or 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.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma today.
