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Babies die after mums given Viagra in Dutch trial
A Viagra in pregnancy trial has been urgently stopped after 11 newborn babies died. Women taking part in the Dutch study had been given the anti-impotence tablets to improve growth of their unborn children because they had poorly developed placentas.
It appears the drug, which promotes blood flow, may have caused lethal damage to the babies' lungs. Experts say a full investigation is needed to understand what happened. There is no suggestion that there was any wrong-doing.
Earlier trials in the UK and Australia and New Zealand did not find any evidence of potential harm from the intervention. But they also found no benefit.
[...] Foetal growth restriction caused by an underdeveloped placenta is a serious condition that currently has no treatment. It can mean babies are born prematurely, with a very low birth weight and poor chances of survival. A medication that could improve weight or prolong the time to delivery could have significant advantages for these very sick babies.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Freeman on Thursday July 26 2018, @04:06PM
While, it could have nothing to do with the drug. They can't ethically, assume that. They're trying to help, not make matters worse. A 6x increase in deaths by doing something as opposed to doing nothing, means it's better to do nothing. Same size matters, but they are doing human trials. Not, lab rat trials.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"