
Eleven babies die after Dutch women given Viagra in drug trial - sdiq
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/24/eleven-babies-die-dutch-women-viagra-drug-trial
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DC-3
> The women taking part in the trial all had unborn babies whose growth had
> been severely limited in the womb. The children’s prognosis, given a lack of
> available therapy, was regarded as poor as a result.

Key point to be made. These aren't healthy babies dying.

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moh_maya
It's a little more nuanced than that though.

The babies were delivered. This wasn't a fetus dying in the womb.

From the article:

"The hospital said: “An interim analysis by Amsterdam UMC, location AMC,
showed that sildenafil may be detrimental to the baby after birth. The chance
of a disease of the blood vessels of the lungs appears to be greater and the
chance of death after birth seems to have increased.

“The researchers found no positive effect for the children on other outcomes.
All adverse effects occurred after birth … "

Further, the incidence was much higher in the test group compared to the
control group.

It was a last ditch attempt, where the prognosis for the fetus was perhaps
already poor. But it is still heart breaking. There is so much we don't know
about fetal development that there may be no alternatives to doing such tests.
But still..:/

I feel for the parents and the scientists involved. It is a terrible burden.
But perhaps that's just the nature of working with such high risk populations.
I hope they find the strength to continue testing other alternatives.

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jsiepkes
> The trial was terminated last week when an independent committee overseeing
> the research discovered that more babies than expected were being born with
> lung problems.

I heard one of the researchers on the radio. What I understood from it is they
decided to abort the trial before the mortality rate became statistically
relevant. However they had indicators there was a chance it would.

I feel like the article is a bit sensational. Could anyone with more knowledge
then me shed some light on this?

