Nexium and PPIs Associated with Birth Defects

Nexium and other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have recently been associated with birth defects. Women who are pregnant are being warned about using these drugs to control gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (or “acid reflux”) and other conditions. Some of those who have given birth to children with Nexium birth defects have contacted a Nexium lawyer for advice.

About Nexium

GERD is a condition in which acid from the stomach washes up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and erosion to other organs. Nexium, which is manufactured by AstraZeneca, must be prescribed by a doctor to help reduce the symptoms of GERD. It can be taken in a “purple pill” form or intravenously. Prilosec, originally made by Proctor & Gamble, has fallen out of patent protection and is now available under other names and over the counter.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies Nexium as a pregnancy Category B drug, meaning trials are inconclusive, and Prilosec as a Category C drug, indicating harm to fetuses in animal trials.

Nexium Birth Defects

Taking Nexium or Prilosec during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage and anencephaly or hydrocephaly, two common neural birth defects. In anencephaly, the skull does not formed properly, and the baby usually dies soon after birth. In hydrocephaly, an accumulation of spinal fluid causes an enlargement of the head and shrinkage of the brain.

While some studies of women taking the heartburn drugs during pregnancy have been inconclusive, others have indicated that taking the drug in the weeks before conception results in an almost 40 percent greater chance of giving birth to a baby with these defects.

A Nexium Lawyer May File Lawsuits for Variety of Conditions

Lawyers have already pursued product liability and personal injury cases against the manufacturers of PPI drugs for conditions including bone fractures and cardiac problems. Now they are filing Nexium lawsuits based on these drugs causing birth defects.

If you or a loved one took Nexium or other PPIs before or during pregnancy and gave birth to a baby with birth defects or lost a baby in miscarriage, contact one of Chaffin Luhana LLP’s Nexium lawyers at 1-888-480-1123 for a free and confidential case review. You may be entitled to compensation, and the lawyers at Chaffin Luhana can help.