ZofranLegal.com reports on another Zofran lawsuit filing obtained by Monheit Law attorneys which was filed by parents from Kentucky, claiming that exposure to the anti-nausea drug caused their daughter to be born with fatal congential heart defects. Plaintiffs claim that the mother, who was prescribed Zofran to combat morning sickness during the pregnancy unknowingly exposed her developing daughter to the dangerous drug. Following this, they state the daughter was prescribed Zofran herself. The county’s medical examiner noted that exposure to the drug “may have contributed to her death.”
The lawsuit was filed under case number 15-CI-784 in a Kentucky state court on August 5th, 2015. It is remarkable due to the fact that the child was directly prescribed Zofran and due to the fact that it was filed against 6 different defendants. Defendants listed include Zofran manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline and the child’s prescribing pediatrician, Dr. Aaronda Wells.
Details within the suit state that in early 2013, the mother was prescribed Zofran in an “off-label” fashion to relieve her morning sickness. She exposed her child to the drug by using it during the first trimester of her pregnancy. Before birth, an ultrasound showed that the fetus had developed severe caudal regression, which meant that her spine was developing abnormally. The first trimester of pregnancy, while a time when women most commonly experience morning sickness, is also a time when the baby does much of its development.
The infant was born on January 15th of 2014, and was immediately diagnosed with 3 congenital defects according to parents. She was born with renal agenesis, ventricular septal defect, and truncus arteriosus. In more common terms, these diagnosis indicate that she was born with just one kidney, a hole in her heart between the pumping chambers, and a common artery that connected her heart’s chambers, rather than two. At just seven weeks old, the child had open-heart surgery and began “progressing well” by July of 2014.
Shortly after this, however, the daughter began to have trouble with vomiting. The mother’s pediatrician, Dr. Aaronda Wells prescribed the child Zofran in an attempt to stop the vomiting. The mother was concerned about this move but was assured it would be ok, according to court documents. After one dose of the medication, the child passed away on the way to the emergency room.
Zofran was never approved or tested for safety on pregnant mothers or their babies. The drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically to treat individuals suffering from nausea and vomiting after undergoing anesthesia, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Despite this, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline allegedly marketed the drug as a morning sickness medication directly to OB/Gyns and the general public. Today, Zofran is prescribed to an estimated 1 million expectant mothers annually.
As birth defect lawsuits against the drug continue to add up, the attorneys at Monheit Law have committed to doing what they can to ensure that anyone affected is able to fully explore their legal options. Women who have been prescribed Zofran while pregnant and who have subsequently given birth to infants with defects may be entitled to substantial compensation. The attorneys at Monheit Law are offering free legal consultations to these individuals at this time.
To request additional information about Zofran birth defect lawsuits, or to ask questions, please contact Attorney Michael Monheit by calling (877) 620-8411.
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Contact ZofranLegal.com:
Michael Monheit
1-877-620-8411
michael@monheit.com
1368 Barrowdale Road, Rydal, PA 19046
