Zofran Lawsuit: Utah Mother Says Nausea Drug Caused Daughter’s Hip Birth Defect

To date, more than 280 families have filed Zofran birth defect lawsuits in the US District Court for Massachusetts – where the litigation has been “consolidated” for pre-trial proceedings. In Boston, these cases will proceed through several critical stages of the litigation process together. The lawsuits all level similar allegations against the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.

In the most recent lawsuit, a mother from Utah claims that GlaxoSmithKline’s potent anti-nausea drug caused her child to develop bilateral hip dysplasia, a congenital misalignment of the hip joints. For children with the condition, constant – and possibly debilitating – pain is a very real possibility.

Daughter “Forced To Undergo” Hip Surgery At 3 Years Old, Mother Says

Like most of the women who have filed Zofran lawsuits, the mother claims she was prescribed the drug as a morning sickness treatment early in the first trimester of pregnancy. Fetal development is particularly delicate during these early weeks – when pregnant women are most likely to be prescribed Zofran as an “off label” morning sickness treatment. Researchers believe that nearly all congenital abnormalities develop during the first trimester.

The mother’s daughter, named A.C.D. in the complaint, was born in 2011. Three years later, she was “forced to undergo surgery” to correct the misalignment of her hip bones, according to court documents.

Her early years, however, were marked by significant difficulties. A.C.D. failed to meet several developmental milestones before reaching the age of three, her mother claims, falling behind other children her age. A.C.D.’s mother writes that her daughter’s congenital condition “prevented her from thriving physically and developmentally.”

The family seeks damages for psychological and emotional trauma, including fear and anxiety, along with medical expenses and lost time at work. Their lawsuit, filed as a Short Form complaint on August 15, 2016, is registered as document 333 in the Zofran Multi-District Litigation.

Families Can Still File Zofran Lawsuits

In hundreds of lawsuits, parents accuse GlaxoSmithKline of marketing Zofran to obstetricians and gynecologists as a morning sickness treatment – despite substantial scientific evidence that the nausea drug may cause child birth defects.

Researchers around the world have linked Zofran’s active ingredient, ondansetron, to increased risks for cleft palate and congenital heart defects. To learn more about the evidence behind Zofran lawsuits, click here.

Zofran is not approved for use during pregnancy. The FDA has only approved the drug to treat nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients, radiation therapy patients and people undergoing surgical anesthesia.

Legal experts believe that hundreds, if not thousands, of families who have yet to step forward may still be eligible to file lawsuits on behalf of their children. To discuss a potential case, and learn more about eligibility for filing a Zofran lawsuit, contact the experienced attorneys at Monheit Law today for a free consultation.