Long Term and High Dose Use of Diflucan (fluconazole) During Pregnancy May Cause Birth Defects

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that chronic and high doses (400-800mg a day) of Diflucan during the first trimester of pregnancy may cause a rare set of birth defects in infants. The risk does not appear to be associated with single or low dose (150mg) fluconazole use to treat vaginal yeast infections or candidiasis during pregnancy.

Diflucan is used to treat yeast infections in the mouth, throat, esophagus, vagina as well as other organs. It is also a medication that is used to help prevent yeast infections in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy or who are immunocompromised. Diflucan or fluconazole can also be used to treat a certain type of meningitis, such as coccidioidal meningitis that is caused by a fungal infection.

High dose use of Diflucan or fluconazole during pregnancy has been associated with the following congenital birth defects:

• Brachycephaly or a failure of the skull bones to close properly causing a malformation of the head or baby’s skull.
• Facial defects
• Abnormal development of the calvarial or skull cap
• Cleft palate
• Femoral bowing or a defect in the thigh bones
• Muscle weakness
• Heart defects
• Thin ribs
• Joint deformities

If you or a loved one was prescribed or treated with high doses of Diflucan during pregnancy and your baby was born with a birth defect, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Philadelphia, PA defective drug lawyers for a confidential and free consultation. Here at the nationally known Beasley product liability law firm, our medical and legal teams have evaluated thousands of defective drug cases and have had billions awarded on behalf of our injured clients. Our record of success speaks for itself.