Drug Injury Lawyers Blog
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1993, over-the-counter pain medication Cataflam has been linked to serious birth defects in infants born to women who took the medication while pregnant. If your child was born with congenital abnormalities that you suspect may be a result of this drug, contact our Cataflam birth defect lawyers at Altman & Altman LLP today.
This non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is a Novartis Pharmaceuticals product. Cataflam is approved as a pain reliever and to treat symptoms-stiffness, swelling, tenderness, and pain-caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Unfortunately, some researchers now believe that Cataflam may be the reason why some pregnant moms are delivering babies with serious birth defects, such as:
Spina bifida: This is a neural tube defect that involves the creation of an opening in the spinal area close to the skull. This exposes a baby’s spinal cord to the mother’s amniotic fluid, which can increase the risk of permanent nerve damage and paralysis.
Cleft lip: This can be as small as a slight notch on the upper lip or as severe as an upper lip that is so widely separated that the opening reaches up to the baby’s nose.
Cleft palate: A separation between the inside of baby’s mouth and its roof is created, which can cause swallowing, eating, and sucking complications.
Clubfoot: The baby’s foot or feet are turned sharply inward in the shape of a club. Surgery or casts or bands may be used to correct this condition.
Anophthalmia: The baby is born with no eyes.
Transverse limb deficiencies: Characterized by short or missing limbs and hemangioma, which consists of blood vessel nodules or a bright red patch in the skin.
Pulmonary valve stenosis: A heart disorder that could lead to serious complications, including heart failure.
Microphthalmia: a birth defect involving a baby being born with unusually small eyes. Can lead to blindness.
Amniotic band syndrome: The baby may be at risk of strangulation or limb or finger amputation should the amniotic sac detach to become entangled with the infant.
According a the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (its findings were published earlier this year in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology) more than 22.6% of the women involved admitted to using NSAIDs during their pregnancy’s first trimester. While most of the 29 defect groups in the study weren’t associated with the use of these drugs, NSAIDs (especially aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen) were linked to a minimal to moderate increase in the risks of some of the birth defects listed above developing.
There is no way to place an actual price on the harm suffered by an infant born with serious birth defects and his/her family. That said, there may be a way to hold a manufacturer liable for their negligence and the pain, suffering, and loss experienced by you and your family. You may have grounds for a dangerous drug lawsuit.
Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use among women and the risk of birth defects, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, August 22, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Makers of Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, and Other SSRI Antidepressants Named as Birth Defect Lawsuit Defendants, Drug Injury Lawyers Blog, August 13, 2012
Study Reports that Epilepsy Drugs May Up Pregnancy Risks, Boston Injury Lawyers, June 15, 2011
Bayer to Settle for Over $110 Million in Yaz Birth-Control Cases, Boston Injury Lawyers, July 6, 2012
