Topamax Oral Birth Defects Lawyers

 Just this year in 2011, the FDA announced that it would require new warnings on the Topamax label.  The anti-seizure and migraine medication’s drug label now warns users that the use of Topamax during pregnancy creates an increased risk of cleft lip and cleft palate birth defects. 

The FDA has also changed Topamax’s classification from a Pregnancy Category C drug to a Pregnancy Category D drug.  This means that there is evidence from human testing of fetal risk when this medication is taken during pregnancy.

Topamax and its generic Topiramate when used during pregnancy can and often do lead to oral clefts, where parts of the baby’s lip or palate do not form completely during pregnancy.  Oral cleft birth defects are one of the most common birth defects.  Although cleft defects can vary greatly in their severity, they will always require at least one, and sometimes many, surgeries.  

An oral cleft defect occurs early in the first trimester of pregnancy.  Depending on how severe the defect is, the baby may be born with a cleft palate, a cleft lip, or both, each with its own scale of severity.

A number of recent studies have shown clear links between certain types of medications taken during pregnancy and oral cleft defects.  For example, Topamax, an anti-seizure medication commonly used to treat epilepsy increases the risk of oral cleft birth defects if taken during pregnancy.  For more information about these cases, you can contact an experienced trial lawyer today.