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Accutane® is known to have an array of adverse effects, including birth defects in the infants born to female patients who have taken Accutane® while pregnant. During the time when Accutane® was prescribed more freely, most women who took it while pregnant miscarried or aborted; of those whose pregnancies resulted in a live birth, more than 150 gave birth to infants with birth defects ranging from deformities to mental retardation. The risk of birth defect in fetuses of women taking Accutane® during their first trimester is 30 percent, while the risk of birth defect in the general population is 3-5 percent.

What causes the birth defects?

Accutane’s® scientific name is isotretinoin, and it is closely related to vitamin A. Taking too much of vitamin A can result in vitamin A toxicity, and isotretinoin was developed to reduce the side effects of toxic doses of that vitamin. However, those side effects — which include birth defects — could not be erased completely by use of isotretinoin. Accutane® is a known “teratogen,” an environmental or chemical factor that causes a birth defect. Accutane® belongs to a class of chemicals called “retinoids,” which are the second-strongest teratogens in humans known today.

What is a retinoid?

A retinoid is a chemical compound that is closely related to vitamin A. Retinoids regulate the way the cells in our tissues grow, which why they are used in medicine, and specifically to treat dermatological conditions.

Types of birth defects from isotretinoin (Accutane®)

Sadly, those fetuses that survived pregnancy while their mothers were taking Accutane® had a high incidence of birth defects. Those defects included:

• Visual impairment
• Hearing impairment and/or missing earlobes
• Facial malformations
• Mental retardation
• Heart defects
• Glandular and central nervous system malformations

What’s being done now?

Accutane® has been pulled from the market and is no longer available in the US; however, it is available outside the US and can be purchased online for shipment to the US, which is against FDA recommendations. In addition, other isotretinoin drugs can still be purchased in the US, but only under the protection of the iPLEDGE program, in which doctors, pharmacies, and patients routinely work together to prevent use of Accutane® while pregnant.

For more information, or to speak with a qualified legal professional about a potential birth defect related to Accutane,® please contact the expert Accutane® lawyers today.

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