Baby Born Deaf and Blind After Mom Took Botox Equivalent
An Australian woman gave birth to a deaf and blind baby in 2005 after taking Dysport, a botulinum type A toxin similar to Allergan’s Botox. Dysport is marketed down under by Ipsen. The event was reported to Australia’s equivalent of the FDA, according to the Courier Mail:
The birth defect link was among 46 different adverse reactions to botulinum type A toxin reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration since July 1, 1994.
The most common are temporary facial paralysis, visual disturbances, fatigue, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations and anxiety.
The TGA report said “A female subject was injected with Dysport at about one week of gestation. The infant was born deaf and blind.” But there is no evidence that the two events were linked. “It warranted no further action,” an Oz official said.
Botox has been the subject of several scare stories about deaths and disfigurement.
Jim Edwards, a former managing editor of Adweek, has covered drug marketing at Brandweek for four years, and is a former Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University's business and journalism schools. Follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
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