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A class action lawsuit has
been filed in Tennessee against the manufacturer of a drug that has been
used on millions of pregnant women to stimulate contractions during childbirth.
The drug is Pitocin, and the
lawsuit alleges that it is "dangerously
defective" and may be linked
to the deaths of several mothers during childbirth and health problems
with some babies.
The lawsuit alleges that the drug itself isn't causing
the problems, rather it is a preservative
in the mixture called chlorobutanol
that lawyers are alleging causes the dangerous side effects.
In addition to possibly causing
deaths of mothers during childbirth, some suggest its use may be linked
to autism in some babies and low oxygen levels
in others.
Manufacturers of the drug say
there are some health risks for some women given the drug, but defends
both the drug and its label, the station said.
The Web site childbirth.org
has a page of frequently-asked
questions about Pitocin.
Channel6000.com,
February 21, 2001
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