The Legal Examiner Affiliate Network The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner search instagram avvo phone envelope checkmark mail-reply spinner error close The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner
Skip to main content

The use of Oral Fluconazole during pregnancy may not actually increase your risk of birth defects, says a recent study from the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which evaluated liveborn infants who were exposed to oral fluconazole in the first trimester, found that treatment of more severe fungal infections by Fluconazole may be linked to the potential for birth defects, whereas treatments of more mild infections at lower dosages saw no such increase.

The majority of women in the study (56%) receiving common therapeutic doses of the oral fluconazole, showed no definable link between the treatment and birth defects. However, those being teated at higher dosages, for a longer term, saw a significant increase in risk of tetralogy of Fallot was observed in more severe treatments, rising from a prevelance of .03% of all cases to .10% of all cases.

Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect, is the most common cyanotic heart defect and the most common cause of blue baby syndrome. Resulting in low oxygenation of blood due to the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in the left ventricle, it can lead to difficulty in feeding, failure to gain weight, retarded growth, and slower physical development.

If you are pregnant and currently using Oral Fluconazole, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional immediately. Although Fluconazole was not directly linked to birth defects, if you are being treated for a severe infection, your child may be susceptible to Tetralogy of Fallot. If your child experienced birth defects due to the use of Fluconazole, contact an attorney to understand your rights.

Comments for this article are closed.