Diflucan (generic: fluconazole) was approved in 1990 to treat yeast infections. The yeast infections afflicted the vagina, mouth, throat, esophagus and other organs. Manufactured by Pfizer Inc., Diflucan is also used to treat meningitis caused by a certain type of fungus. Lastly, Diflucan can be taken to prevent yeast infections in patients who are being treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy prior to a bone marrow transplant.
Diflucan Dangers
In August 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Safety Alert regarding Diflucan and its potential to cause birth defects. The FDA announced that use of long-term, high-dose Diflucan during the first trimester of pregnancy may be linked to a rare and distinct set of birth defects, including:
- Short, broad head
- Abnormal looking face
- Abnormal development of the skullcap
- Oral cleft (cleft lip or palate)
- Bowing of the thigh bones
- Thin ribs and long bones
- Muscle weakness and joint deformities
- Congenital heart disease
These defects were observed in case reports that have been published in medical literature. The case studies involve mothers who were treated with chronic, high-dose Diflucan for fungal infections during the first three months of pregnancy. They went on to give birth to infants with rare birth defects. The defects found in the studies were similar to those seen in animal testing of Diflucan.
Your Baby’s Rights
If your baby was born with a congenital defect that may have been caused by exposure to Diflucan before birth, your family deserves financial compensation. Although no amount of money will change what happened to your baby, compensation will help offset the current and future medical costs, as well as provide for the pain and suffering you and your baby have experienced.
Filing a claim will also teach the manufacturers of unsafe medications that it is unacceptable to not warn parents of the risks associated with these drugs. This includes serious birth defects. Your suit may even prevent other families from suffering as yours has. Your suit could force pharmaceutical companies to change their drug’s label to warn parents of the potential risks.
Contact Us
You may be eligible for compensation to ease the financial burdens associated with your baby’s injury. Contact us today to set up a free consultation, during which we will listen to your story, answer any questions you may have and discuss your legal rights and options. If you choose us to represent you, we will work with you on a contingency fee basis; this means you pay nothing until we have secured compensation for you, either through a jury verdict or settlement.
