Ironically, it appears that taking Clomid, a fertility drug designed to increase the chances of becoming pregnant, increases the chance of giving birth to children with birth defects. This is according to a study published last year in the journal "Human Reproduction". The birth defects seen in children born to women who reported using Clomid anywhere from two months before conception to the first month of pregnancy included Anencephaly, Septal heart defects, Coarctation of the aorta, Esophageal atresia, Craniosynostosis, Omphalocele, and, in a small number of cases, Clomid was also associated with Dandy-Walker malformation, muscular ventricular septal defect and cloacal exstrophy. This study is the first to link the last three defects to Clomid. As early as 1975, evidence was presented to the FDA that Clomid use by hopeful mothers could result in birth defects to infants, yet the product labeling, to this point, does not warn of increased risks of birth defects.
In conducting this study, researchers with the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a population-based, multi-site case-control study of major birth defects. Women from 10 US regions with deliveries affected by at least one of 30 birth defects and mothers of live born infants without a major birth defect (controls) who delivered October 1997-December 2005 were interviewed.
If you gave birth to a child with a birth defect after using Clomid, you should consult an attorney experienced in handling drug liability cases. They can help you assess your options and provide you with legal support.
