Does Clomid pose any risk to your fetus? A closer look at the side effects

Clomid is a fertility drug that is steadily rising in popularity. More and more women are turning to Clomid, also called clomiphene citrate, to induce ovulation and help them get pregnant. With a success rate of 80 percent according to some sources, it is no big surprise that Clomid is both the most well-known and most commonly used fertility medication. Doctors prescribe Clomid when there are problems with ovulation.

The drug is frequently used in combination with conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, and can be prescribed to make Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) more effective. There are many advantages with Clomid, and apart from its quite amazing success rate, it is easy to use and not as expensive as many other fertility enhancing drugs. How about the side effects? If you have looked into Clomid, you probably already know that an increased risk of twins is the Clomid side effect that is mentioned most often. Twins are a very welcome side effect to some people, of course. Other, more unpleasant, side effects that are relatively frequent with the use of Clomid are hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, and bloating. Some women also have headaches, get dizzy, nauseous and have problems with thick cervical mucus or vaginal dryness.

While these are certainly annoying side effects, if they will help us conceive a baby, most women have no problems with tolerating them for a while. But how about the baby we are hoping to conceive? Does Clomid pose any risk to a fetus? I am sure there are many parents who are worried about this. When looking at clinical studies into the use of Clomid, there is no evidence that using Clomid correctly increases the risk of birth defects and miscarriages. However there might be a slight increase in the number of ectopic pregnancies with Clomid.

Continuing to use Clomid while you are already pregnant could harm your fetus though, so it is extremely important to follow your cycle and do regular pregnancy tests while you are using this drug. There have not been clinical trials into the effects of Clomid intake during human pregnancies, but studies on animals indicate that Clomid is not safe during pregnancy, and ongoing use can lead to birth anomalies.