Cytotec Labor Injuries
What is Cytotec?
Misoprostol is a drug marketed under the brand name Cytotec. While it’s sometimes used to induce labor, this drug can cause serious and life-threatening side effects that must not be overlooked.
Cytotec has never been tested for safety or efficacy as a labor-inducing drug. Therefore, its unapproved use is considered “off-label use.” Despite warnings from both the FDA and Searle Pharmaceuticals, doctors continue to use Cytotec to induce labor.
There are serious concerns with the method used to administer Cytotec. Most labor-inducing drugs are administered intravenously or via a vaginal insert. If the mother or baby has an adverse reaction to these drugs, the IV can be stopped immediately, or the insert can be removed. Cytotec is given in ¼-tablet doses placed directly into the vagina every four hours. The medication is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, affording no opportunity to stop any adverse reactions that may occur.
Serious Side Effects
In recent years, increasing numbers of birth injuries have occurred when Cytotec was used to induce labor. These injuries might have been avoided if a more appropriate drug had been utilized. It is critically important for your doctor to fully inform you about the drug choices, side effects, and procedures involved in your pregnancy.
Hyperstimulation is commonly reported with the use of Cytotec. During labor, the normal interval between contractions is typically two to three minutes, and each contraction lasts about 60 seconds. Hyperstimulation occurs when contractions are less than two minutes apart and are excessively strong and protracted. Hyperstimulation can cause dangerous fluctuations in the fetal heart rate or umbilical cord compression, ultimately forcing an emergency C-section to prevent hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
Uterine rupture, another common side effect of Cytotec, occurs in response to hyperstimulation and excessive contractions. When the uterus tears, an emergency C-section is necessary to prevent HIE and other brain injuries. Additionally, hemorrhaging may occur and necessitate extensive surgical repair or even hysterectomy.
In 1999, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) issued a warning that Cytotec is not recommended for use in patients that have had previous uterine surgery, including a C-section. The warning states that it is known to cause uterine rupture in these cases.
Other complications experienced with the use of Cytotec include an increase in bleeding and hemorrhaging, jaundice, and amniotic fluid embolism (maternal stroke caused by amniotic fluid entering the mother’s blood stream), as well as an increased need for C-sections and device-assisted deliveries.
Legal Help
If you have experienced a devastating loss or birth injury because Cytotec was administered during labor, contact our highly qualified team at Thurswell Law. You’re already suffering physically and emotionally – you should not have to suffer financially as well. Call us at 248-354-2222 to receive a free consultation and let us put our extensive experience in Michigan birth injury cases to work for you. No fee unless you collect.
