Typically, we take various medications to kill off bacterial infections, treat existing conditions, and help our bodies fight viruses.
However, medicine is not always the good guy.
There are some dangerous drugs prescribed by doctors that can cause serious birth defects when taken by women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
In these cases, it is the innocent child that suffers.
Probably the most famous of the birth defect causing drugs is the teratogen, Thalidomide.
It began as a miracle drug that treated everything from insomnia to colds.
Also, Thalidomide was prescribed to women to inhibit morning sickness.
Sadly, when thousands of pregnant women took it, they also consigned their children to gross aberrations in their physical appearance.
Thalidomide babies are characterized by abnormal appendages and more.
Arms and legs can be shortened, flipper-like in appearance, and even omitted entirely.
As Thalidomide usage is again on the rise for treating ovarian cancer, Crohn's disease, and as an anti-tumor.
Thus, pregnant women must be vigilant in staying away from this teratogen.
In order to treat severe acne, dermatologists often prescribe the drug Accutane, from the tetracycline family.
Women who take Accutane must agree to use two types of birth control if they are of childbearing age while taking the medication.
This is because the anti-acne pills can cause tragic birth defects.
Accutane usage has been linked to babies born with severe brain and heart defects, leading to mental retardation and 160 other recorded issues.
Thus, along with the two contraceptives, women taking Accutane have to submit to pregnancy tests every month of using the drug.
Paxil is an antidepressant medicine that can cause the even more saddening event of birth defects.
A study showed that women who took Paxil in their first trimester were up to 2x more likely to have a baby with birth defects.
The chances of abnormal kids raise to 6x more likely when mothers took Paxil after twenty weeks of pregnancy.
Paxil can cause seizures, holes in the heat, and even persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN.
PPHN results in abnormal blood flow and can lead to death.
Blood pressure medicines in the family of ACE inhibitors have shown to increase the risk of birth anomalies.
These blood pressure-lowering drugs include Zestril, Lotensin, and Prinivil, among others.
Studies have concluded that taking ACE inhibitors during the second half of pregnancy leads to atypical kidney functioning, and even irregular kidney anatomy.
Currently, the medicine containers have the black box warnings that caution using the drugs during pregnancy, but it is not as closely regulated as Accutane.
This is just an overview of some of the drugs that can cause harmful birth defects.
Before taking anything while you are pregnant or attempting to conceive, please check with your doctor.
Also, if you suspect that your doctor has prescribed you a drug that causes birth defects while you are pregnant, this could be medical malpractice.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, a good birth injury law firm to seek out is Lowenthal & Abrams, P.
C.
For more information on birth injury, please visit their website
However, medicine is not always the good guy.
There are some dangerous drugs prescribed by doctors that can cause serious birth defects when taken by women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
In these cases, it is the innocent child that suffers.
Probably the most famous of the birth defect causing drugs is the teratogen, Thalidomide.
It began as a miracle drug that treated everything from insomnia to colds.
Also, Thalidomide was prescribed to women to inhibit morning sickness.
Sadly, when thousands of pregnant women took it, they also consigned their children to gross aberrations in their physical appearance.
Thalidomide babies are characterized by abnormal appendages and more.
Arms and legs can be shortened, flipper-like in appearance, and even omitted entirely.
As Thalidomide usage is again on the rise for treating ovarian cancer, Crohn's disease, and as an anti-tumor.
Thus, pregnant women must be vigilant in staying away from this teratogen.
In order to treat severe acne, dermatologists often prescribe the drug Accutane, from the tetracycline family.
Women who take Accutane must agree to use two types of birth control if they are of childbearing age while taking the medication.
This is because the anti-acne pills can cause tragic birth defects.
Accutane usage has been linked to babies born with severe brain and heart defects, leading to mental retardation and 160 other recorded issues.
Thus, along with the two contraceptives, women taking Accutane have to submit to pregnancy tests every month of using the drug.
Paxil is an antidepressant medicine that can cause the even more saddening event of birth defects.
A study showed that women who took Paxil in their first trimester were up to 2x more likely to have a baby with birth defects.
The chances of abnormal kids raise to 6x more likely when mothers took Paxil after twenty weeks of pregnancy.
Paxil can cause seizures, holes in the heat, and even persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN.
PPHN results in abnormal blood flow and can lead to death.
Blood pressure medicines in the family of ACE inhibitors have shown to increase the risk of birth anomalies.
These blood pressure-lowering drugs include Zestril, Lotensin, and Prinivil, among others.
Studies have concluded that taking ACE inhibitors during the second half of pregnancy leads to atypical kidney functioning, and even irregular kidney anatomy.
Currently, the medicine containers have the black box warnings that caution using the drugs during pregnancy, but it is not as closely regulated as Accutane.
This is just an overview of some of the drugs that can cause harmful birth defects.
Before taking anything while you are pregnant or attempting to conceive, please check with your doctor.
Also, if you suspect that your doctor has prescribed you a drug that causes birth defects while you are pregnant, this could be medical malpractice.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, a good birth injury law firm to seek out is Lowenthal & Abrams, P.
C.
For more information on birth injury, please visit their website