Zofran has been associated with birth defects in a series of different studies. Danish researchers found an increase in congenital heart defects in babies exposed to Zofran. A Swedish team corroborated the Danish study, and American researchers discovered that fetuses exposed to Zofran during the first trimester were 2.37 times more likely to be born with a cleft palate. These studies were widely publicized, but another study, conducted by Australian researchers, did not receive as much publicity.
The study included roughly 97,000 pregnancies of which the majority did not involve Zofran exposure. In the small percentage of pregnancies where the mother took Zofran during the first trimester, researchers noticed that babies were seven times more likely to have obstructive defects of the renal pelvis and ureter. These kinds of abnormalities occur when the ureters, which transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder, are blocked. This can lead to infections in the kidneys as well as kidney failure and other complications.
While this study was too small to claim real statistical significance to its findings, similar results were posted in a Canadian investigative report linking kidney defects to Zofran.
If you were prescribed Zofran during the first trimester of pregnancy and your baby now suffers from birth injuries, it is possible to engage in litigation against the drug’s manufacturer. Zofran has never been approved to treat pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, so speak with a skilled birth injury attorney if you believe the drug may have been involved in your child’s injury.
Farrell & Patel – Birth Injury Law Firm
