Topiramate, known by its prescription name of Topamax, hit the market as a prescription medication to treat epilepsy and certain types of seizures in September 2006. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and has been a successful medication ranking near the top of the industry. Medical professionals were hopeful that Topamax would be extraordinarily beneficial to many people who suffered from seizures, but it is now apparent that it may lead to birth defects in babies when taken during pregnancy.
From Medical Advancement to Extreme Potential Harm
Topamax was prescribed to millions of people who were excited about this “medical break through”. Unbeknownst to those taking the medication, Topamax has been found to increase the occurrence of birth defects in expectant mothers who take it. Five years after its release, in March 2011, the FDA forced Topamax to issue a warning about the correlation between their drug and birth defects. Five years of availability on the market means that countless expectant mothers have taken this pill, hoping to no longer suffer from epilepsy and seizures. The FDA’s website has confirmed that taking Topamax will increase fetal risk of birth defects, such as cleft lip or palate. The severity of this side effect must be taken into consideration when prescribing medication to expecting mothers. If you take Topamax and suspect that you could be pregnant, you should seek a medical professional to receive an expert opinion on the matter. There are alternative medications available that have not shown side effects of birth defects which are far safer to take during pregnancy.
Birth Defects Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your child was born with a birth defect and you believe it may be attributed to your use of Topamax during pregnancy, it is likely that you have some questions. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Your doctor will take your personal circumstance into deep consideration and will advise you of the great benefits that are possible from surgery, along with the potential risks and side effects. The advantages of surgery are obvious in helping the child’s dentition, oral health, and your child’s ability to lead a “normal” life. However, when making this important decision, you, as the parent, need to be aware of the potentially harmful effects. 
Cleft lip occurs in about one out of seven hundred births, meaning there are people who are ready to help your child live a normal life. This team consists of professionals like a plastic/craniofacial surgeon, pediatrician, orthodontist, pediatric dentist, speech language pathologist, ear nose and throat specialist, an audiologist, genetic counselor, nurse team coordinator, and a social worker. Each of these individuals will provide a form of support and strength to your baby and family. These professionals are trained to treat your baby’s needs and answer any questions you may have. Beyond providing healthcare for your baby, counselors and social workers are designated to help your child cope with the psychological aspects that may accompany a cleft lip/palate. A child with a cleft lip will face many health problems, but the deeper, emotional problems can be just as significant. These counselors will introduce you to organizations for certain birth defects, as well as support groups of other families just like yours. Despite the fear of the unknown, it is crucial to be an advocate for your child and to utilize all possible resources.
Diagnostic screenings will be needed in order to avoid reactions from the medications that will be given to your new baby for the surgery. The first phase of the surgery is the anesthesia. The anesthesia will be administered to your baby to put him or her in a “sleep like coma” to avoid pain. The sedation can be given generally or intravenously, and will be chosen depending on your doctor’s recommendations. Next, an incision will be made on either side of the cleft. This flap will then be sewn together to close the cleft. If the incision is successful the surgery is complete and your baby will wake up when the sedation wears off. Once your child is awake, it is important to closely follow the surgeon’s suggestions on caring for the wound. Certain medications may be taken orally or applied directly to the incision to aid in preventing infection and strengthening the new formation. There will be specific feeding restrictions for your child which your doctor will suggest for you. Following surgery, you may find your baby restrained to keep him or her from touching the surgical site until it heals. This surgery is the first of the process to correct clefts, and depending on the outcome of this surgery and your child’s individual case, he or she may need to undergo follow up procedures for health or cosmetic reasons.
Most children with these birth defects require a first, initial surgery as early as 3 months. These surgeries are often invasive and require tedious work on behalf of the plastic surgeon. This initial surgery is crucial to preventing disease from forming in the exposed region of the cleft lip, and to providing a healthier dentition. This preliminary surgery helps restore the actual structure of the face. 
Among a myriad of errors that hospital employees can make on the job, the following seem to be the ones that occur most often: 
When a cleft does not affect the mouth’s palate structure it is referred to as cleft lip. Cleft lips can occur on one or both sides of the lip which are generally referred to as unilateral or bilateral clefts. The first category of cleft lip is known as an incomplete cleft. An incomplete, or partial, cleft lip occurs at the top of the lip. The cleft appears as a small gap or indentation that does not reach the nose.
Birth injury due to shoulder dystocia can be reduced by proper, non-negligent care by an obstetrician. One of the most important things the obstetrician must do is to recognize shoulder dystocia when it is happening. A sure sign that shoulder dystocia could be complicating the birthing process is when the baby’s body does not emerge with the typical pushing and standard movements normally used by the obstetrician to facilitate the birth. Another indicator is the “turtle sign”. This is when the baby’s head emerges and then retracts back like a turtle pulling back into its shell. This retraction occurs because the baby’s anterior shoulder is stuck. When shoulder dystocia has been determined, a backup obstetrician should be called and the delivery team should ready themselves for any possible complications. 
The federally backed watchdog that performed the investigations, Equip for Equality, found the care provisions at Alden Village North deplorable. Illnesses were never treated properly, lab tests and results went ignored, doctors failed to return pages of medical charts, and investigations into resident deaths were superficial and incomplete. 
The study gave imipramine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, to injured lab mice. Researcher, Dr. Jason Huang, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center and chief of neurosurgery at Highland Hospital in New York, found that the mice treated with imipramine showed 70% more brain cell growth than the mice that were not treated with the drug. In addition to cell growth, the treated mice also displayed, through behavioral testing, improved memory skills.