The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that children born to consumers who take Topamax during pregnancy may face a higher risk of oral birth defects. These Topamax side effects may include:
Correcting these birth defects may require corrective surgery, which exposes the child to many risks such as an adverse reaction to anesthesia. If you took Topamax and had a child with oral birth defects, please contact our Topamax lawyers to receive a confidential, free consultation to learn your legal rights.
Topamax is the brand name for Topiramate, an antiepilepsy drug made by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics and Noramco, two companies owned by Johnson & Johnson. It is frequently prescribed for the prevention of migraines but also used to treat epilepsy. The FDA approved Topamax to treat seizures resulting from epilepsy in 1996. In 2004, the drug was also approved to treat migraines.
The FDA initially classified Topamax as a Category C drug, meaning the drug posed some risks to an unborn child during pregnancy but that the benefits from Topamax outweighed the risks. However, in response to reports of Topamax’s association with birth injuries and defects, the FDA reclassified Topamax in 2011 as a Category D drug, meaning that the risk to fetuses during pregnancy is higher than initially thought.
Attorneys with The Cochran Firm, D.C. are actively investigating claims by individuals who took Topamax during pregnancy and whose child suffered birth defects. Please contact our team of experienced legal professionals for a free, confidential review of your case. Because strict time limits apply to filing Topamax claims for compensation, we recommend contacting us as soon as possible.
