Did you take Motrin during pregnancy? Did you know that Motrin and other NSAID painkillers have been linked to severe, life-threatening birth defects? New research has found that Motrin may increase the risk of having a baby with spina bifida, cleft lip, cleft palate, amniotic band syndrome, clubfoot, and two birth defects that cause incurable blindness. If you have had a baby with a birth defect, you may want to file a Motrin lawsuit.

What You Can Do & How a Motrin Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Motrin induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has had a child with a birth defect caused by this medication, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Motrin lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Motrin Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Motrin Overview

Motrin is the prescription-strength brand-name version of one of the most popular painkilling medications in the world: ibuprofen. It is regularly used by millions of people worldwide for the treatment of mild or moderate pain, inflammation, and to reduce fever. It belongs to a class of drugs called “Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs” or NSAIDs for short. You probably have at least one NSAID in your medicine cabinet: aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen all belong to this popular group of painkillers.

Motrin is prescription-strength ibuprofen, and doctors usually prescribe this medication to treat pain, swelling, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. These painful conditions are caused when there are problems with the delicate lining between a person’s joints. Motrin can help reduce a the body’s inflammation response to alleviate pain and suffering.

Unfortunately, recent research has found a link between Motrin and other NSAIDs and several severe, life-threatening birth defects. The researchers are now warning women not to take Motrin or other NSAIDs during pregnancy.

Motrin and Pregnancy

New research has found that there is a slightly increased risk of having a baby with a birth defect when pregnant women took an NSAID, such as Motrin, during pregnancy. The risk is greatest when these women took an NSAID during the first trimester of pregnancy, though there may be risks to an unborn baby if the medication is taken at any time during pregnancy.

The following birth defects have been linked to Motrin and other NSAIDs:

• Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS): ABS is not actually a birth defect, but it can cause a baby to be born without fingers or limbs. ABS is actually a complication that occurs during fetal development. Normally, during fetal development, a baby is surrounded by the amniotic sac. When ABS occurs, parts of this sac detach and form bands, which can then entangle a developing baby. If ABS is not corrected early, a baby can become strangled by the bands, leading to the amputation of fingers or limbs. ABS is 60% more likely to occur in babies born to mothers who took an NSAID during pregnancy.
• Clubfoot: This condition is named after the shape of a baby’s foot when it is born. The foot is turned inward at a sharp angle at the baby’s ankle, resembling a club. The condition is readily treatable — surgery may be an option, though many parents choose a less-invasive, gradual stretching of the baby’s foot. New techniques have been developed using bands and casts to gradually correct the child’s foot position. If the condition is not treated, the child will often have serious impediments when he or she begins learning how to walk.
• Anophthalmia and Microphthalmia: These are birth defects affecting the eye. Both cause blindness and are incurable. Normally, these birth defects are exceptionally rare. But when mothers took an NSAID during pregnancy, the risk of these birth defects increased by a three-fold rate. Anophthalmia is a serious condition in which the baby is born without eyes. Microphthalmia is also a serious condition, and occurs when the baby is born with abnormally small eyes.

• Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate: Oral / facial clefts are some of the most common birth defects that occur in the United States. When the baby is developing in the womb, these birth defects occur when the flesh in the upper lip or the roof of the mouth fails to fuse together. A baby with cleft lip may have just a small notch, or a wide gap that extends into the nose. Similarly, a baby with cleft palate may have a cleft that involves only the hard palate, or both the hard palate and the soft palate. For both cleft lip and cleft palate, the infant often has serious problems eating, swallowing, and forming suction on its mother’s breast. For this reason, babies with clefts are at risk of nutritional deficiencies. Cleft lip and cleft palate were 30-80% more likely to occur when the mother took an NSAID during pregnancy.
• Spina Bifida: This is a severe, life-threatening, and often debilitating birth defect that occurs when the baby is developing in the womb. Normally, in the first few weeks of fetal development, the neural tube closes and protects the spinal cord. In a baby with spina bifida, the neural tube fails to close and the spinal cord is exposed to amniotic fluid in the womb. This causes severe, permanent damage to the spinal cord. Babies with spina bifida often have some level of paralysis. Spina bifida was 60% more likely to occur in babies born to mothers who took an NSAID.

What is the problem with Motrin?

In December 2011, researchers announced the results of a study of more than 20,000 women. The researchers found a link between the maternal use of NSAIDs, such as Motrin, and several several severe birth defects. The researchers looked at data from 15,000 women who had a baby with a birth defect, and compared the data to 5,500 women whose babies had no defects. The researchers then looked for links between the maternal use of medications and more than 29 different birth defects. Though the vast majority of birth defects were not correlated with the maternal use of medications, a few were. This analysis led the researchers to conclude that women should avoid all NSAIDs during pregnancy, and talk to their doctor about what painkillers would be safe to use instead.

Do I have a Motrin Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Motrin induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has had a baby with a birth defect after taking Motrin, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Motrin Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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