Australian Study Says That Botox Is Not For Women

Australian doctors are warning pregnant women to avoid Botox and other wrinkle treatments that are manufactured with botulinum toxin. This warning comes after health authorities have reported that a woman who gave birth to a child after taking a form of botulinum toxin gave birth to a baby who was both blind and deaf.

There are many botulinum toxin treatments that are currently approved for use in the United States. Botox is manufactured with botulinum toxin Type A and is approved for a variety of conditions. Botox Cosmetic is approved for temporary improvement in the appearence of moderate to severe facial frown lines. Myobloc is made from botulinum toxin Type B and is approved for treatment of adults with cervical dystonia (muscle spasms in the neck).

The manufacturer of Dysport has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and hopes to have approval from the agency to market the drug as a treatment for cervical dystonia later this year. However, last year, the Australian Federal Health and Aging Department released documents that detailed the case of a child who was born deaf and blind in November 2005 after the other was given Dysport during the first few weeks of preganancy.