Pregnant women must be very careful with any medications or supplements they consume while they are pregnant. The fetus will absorb all of those substances, and some drugs that may be safe for a mother may not be safe for the child. Children who are exposed to toxic chemicals or medications can be born with developmental problems or serious birth defects that can last for a lifetime. It’s critical that drug companies and doctors exercise great caution to ensure that prescription drugs and supplements are safe for unborn children.
Fetuses receive their nutrients through the mother’s placenta. The placenta delivers oxygen, nutrition, and blood, but also can deliver chemicals and other toxins. If a supplement or a medication is not safe for unborn children, the fetus can suffer serious harm. Because of this, all medications prescribed to pregnant mothers must have significant scientific evidence that proves the medication’s safety when used during pregnancy.
There have been a number of prescription drugs over the years that were prescribed to pregnant women without proper testing, and in some cases those drugs caused harm to unborn fetuses. One such drug was Zofran, which was prescribed for nausea. Although the drug had not been marketed as a treatment for morning sickness, doctors were told the medication was safe to treat morning sickness. It was later discovered that there was a link between Zofran and birth defects and other health conditions, including cleft palates, holes in the heart, missing or malformed organs, and brain damage.
If you have taken a prescription drug during your pregnancy that you believe harmed your unborn child, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles prescription drug liability attorney, at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.