Kim Kardashian's recent promotion of a morning sickness drug has landed a pharmaceutical company in trouble with authorities in the US.

The celebrity, who is five months pregnant with her second child, frequently uses social media to promote brands she is involved with.

In this case she used her Instagram to endorse Diclegis, a morning sickness medication she came upon through her own doctor. The brand did not pursue her to endorse it, but they have confirmed that she was paid to promote the drug.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were not happy with the push and issued a warning letter to the company behind the drug. They said Kim Kardashian did not highlight the possible risks of taking Diclegis when she recommended it for use by her followers. Kardashian's information was misleading because it did not give full information. 

The offending Instagram post has now been removed

Kardashian's post included the following remark's from the star herself:

"OMG. Have you heard about this? As you guys know my #morningsickness has been pretty bad. I tried changing things about my lifestyle, like my diet, but nothing helped, so I talked to my doctor. He prescribed me #Diclegis, and I felt a lot better and most importantly, it's been studied and there was no increased risk to the baby. I'm so excited and happy with my results that I'm partnering with Duchesnay USA to raise awareness about treating morning sickness. If you have morning sickness, be safe and surej to ask your doctor about the pill with pregnant woman on it and find out more www.diclegis.com; www.DiclegisImportantSafetyInfo.com"

The FDA says including a link to www.DiclegisImportantSafetyInfo.com was not sufficient protection for consumers.

Diclegis can be used in the treatment of severe morning sickness, when pregnant women do not respond to more conservative treatments.

For example, it might be prescribed for a pregnant woman suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum, the chronic morning sickness condition the Duchess of Cambridge Kate was treated for in hospital. However, its effect in women with this particular kind of extreme morning sickness has not been studied.

Diclegis contains a combination of anti-histamine and Vitamin B. Its side-effects can include an allergic reaction that could cause hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat and drowsiness.

Thalidomide left fears

The FDA has approved Diclegis for use in America and says it is not expect to harm an unborn baby, however anti-nausea medication in pregnancy is a controversial issue since the health scandal caused by the drug thalidomide.

Its use as a treatment for morning sickness in the 1960s caused thousands of babies to be born with shortened limbs and other birth abnormalities. The controversial drug was also implicated in the deaths of some unborn babies.

Licensed for use in 46 countries, some 5,000 thalidomide survivors worldwide are seeking redress for the damages done to them.

Thalidomide is no longer in use, though it was only completely phased out in Spain in the 1980s.

Meanwhile, the FDA says it is not the first time drug company Duchesnay has been censured for publicising its drug Diclegis without highlighting risk information.

The drug company has been asked to submit a plan for how it will issue corrective information to prospective customers.