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this pageGiving RhoGAM® Injections to Pregnant Women May Have Harmed Their Babies
Newborns whose mothers received RhoGAM® injections during pregnancy may have been exposed to mercury, a harmful metal linked to autism–like symptoms and nervous disorders. Until 2001, RhoGAM® included the preservative thimerosal, which contained mercury. Although the RhoGAM® package insert mentioned thimerosal, it did not provide any warnings about the effects of mercury on mothers and their babies.
RhoGAM® and Thimerosal
An Rh–negative woman who becomes pregnant may take RhoGAM® to reduce health problems for her unborn baby. Rh–negative means that a certain blood protein is missing from the woman’s red blood cells. If she is carrying a baby who has such a protein (an Rh–positive fetus), she may produce antibodies that can attack the baby’s red blood cells, causing anemia or even death. The antibody build–up usually affects the mother’s second and later pregnancies with Rh–positive babies.
RhoGAM® is a globulin shot that prevents the mother’s immune system from making antibodies that can harm her baby. However, the preservative thimerosal that was contained in RhoGAM® was 50% mercury, which becomes the compound ethyl mercury (Mercury in Plasma–Derived Products, FDA).
Toxic Effects of Mercury
High levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain and kidneys, resulting in tremors, memory and vision problems. Mercury in a mother’s body can be passed to her fetus. One study suggests that mercury accumulates in umbilical cord blood at a level that is 1.7 times higher than that in the blood of the mother. Mercury–containing thimerosal can cross the placenta and migrate to the brain, organs and tissue of the developing fetus.
Infants and the developing fetus are particularly susceptible to the effects of mercury exposure. Babies who were exposed to mercury in the womb may develop brain damage, mental retardation, lack of coordination, blindness, seizures, and become unable to speak, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ToxFAQs for Mercury, ATSDR).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have warned pregnant women about the dangers of eating certain large fish that contain high amounts of mercury (What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish, EPA and FDA). Pregnant women may also be exposed to mercury in contaminated air or water.
Childhood vaccines have included mercury–containing thimerosal as a preservative. In July 1999, the FDA asked vaccine manufacturers to eliminate or reduce the use of thimerosal in vaccines to avoid the possibility that vaccinated infants would be exposed to mercury levels that exceeded federal guidelines. Some vaccines for infants still contain trace amounts of thimerosal; many are now thimerosal–free (Thimerosal and Expanded List of Vaccines, FDA).
RhoGAM® Manufacturer Knew About Thimerosal Problems
When RhoGAM® was licensed in 1968, it contained thimerosal. In July 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) agreed that thimerosal should be eliminated from vaccines and other products because mercury harms infants and children.
RhoGAM®’s manufacturer, Ortho Diagnostics (Johnson & Johnson), did not begin producing thimerosal–free RhoGAM® until April 16, 2001. Because of its two–year shelf life, RhoGAM® with thimerosal may have remained in the market until April, 2003. A similar product, BayRho, contained thimerosal until 1996. WinRho SD, a freeze–dried globulin used by Rh–negative mothers, has never contained thimerosal.
Obtaining Information about Thimerosal, Mercury and Your RhoGAM® Case
For details about thimerosal, see Thimerosal in Vaccines. For more information about mercury, see the EPA Mercury home page. The study about the transfer of mercury from a mother to her developing fetus may be found on the web site of the Environmental Protection Agency. You will need Adobe Acrobat software to access the file. If you do not have this software or need to upgrade to a current version, you may download a free copy at the Adobe web site.
At Brayton Purcell, we are concerned about harmful products and exposure to toxic substances such as mercury. We have been handling cases involving medical/legal issues for over 20 years, and work tirelessly to preserve the legal rights of our clients. If you received injections of RhoGAM® during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and have children with neurological disorders, please feel free to contact us to discuss your legal options.
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