Committed to Fighting Opioid Injuries in Babies and Children

America is confronting an opioid epidemic. More and more people have been prescribed opioid painkillers, and that population includes pregnant women. Those prescription opioids pose a greater risk of severe birth defects and harm to newborn babies.

Did you (or someone you know) take prescription painkillers or opioids while pregnant and then given birth to a child with a birth defect, such as spina bifida, hydrocephaly, microcephaly, a serious congenital heart defect, or severe brain damage? You may be entitled to compensation.

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman is a leader in representing families injured by dangerous products and corporate negligence. We are committed to fighting for babies and children who have been injured by opioid use. Call us at 1-888-597-1441 to see how our pharmaceutical lawyers can fight for your family.

Opioid Use and Newborn Babies

Opioids are a wide-ranging group of pain management medications that are highly addictive. Over the past 20 years, the United States has witnessed a jump in opioid misuse. The result has been a ripple effect harming whole families and straining public services.

Treatment of pregnant women with opioid medications has been linked to certain birth defects. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and published studies, prescription painkillers and opioids are shown to significantly increase the risk of major birth defects such as:

• Spina bifida
• Hydrocephaly
• Microcephaly
• Serious congenital heart defects
• Severe brain damage

Deceptive Marketing Practices Downplay Risks of Opioids

The opioid epidemic is due in large part to the aggressive marketing tactics of the prescription drug manufacturers and distributors. Articles and advertisements backed by these pharmaceutical companies and published in medical journals and in the popular press have pushed painkillers and opioids while downplaying the dangerous side effects. Their high-pressure marketing tactics convinced many in the medical community and the public that these highly-addictive drugs were safe and effective for long-term use in the management of chronic pain. Complicating matters further, many medical professionals have not been trained to identify addiction or withdrawal symptoms in their patients and were actively mislead by the drug companies into viewing signs of addiction as a sign that larger doses of opioids were needed.

Have you or someone you know taken prescription painkillers or opioids at any time between one month before and three months after becoming pregnant and then given birth to a child with a severe birth injury? Here is a list of common opioid medications:

We are Committed to Compensating You and Your Family

The attorneys at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman are committed to fighting for babies and children who have been injured by maternal opioid use and we are dedicated to restoring victims’ families to the fullest extent possible. We will aggressively seek to hold the pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors responsible for placing corporate earnings ahead of your child’s health and safety. If you or someone you know has given birth to a child with a birth defect after taking prescription painkillers or opioids at any time between one month before or three months after becoming pregnant, you may be entitled to compensation. To find out if you may qualify, call for a free case review at 1-888-597-1441.