Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) found in antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others taken by pregnant women have been linked to birth defects such as skeletal defects, neural tube defects and heart defects. Although most SSRIs carry a pregnancy warning, many SSRI birth defect lawsuits allege that those warnings are simply inadequate.
SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits
Recent studies on SSRIs given to pregnant women whose child developed a birth defect report that SSRIs allow too much serotonin to remain in the area where the cells of the fetus develop – which can cause birth defects such as:
- anal atresia (a complete or partial closure of the anus)
- cleft lip – A defect in which a child is born with an abnormal lip.
- clubbed feet
- craniosynostosis (an abnormally shaped skull)
- limb reduction
- neural tube defects involving the brain and spinal cord
- omphalocele (a defect in the development of the muscles of the abdominal wall where some organs remain outside of the abdomen)
- PPHN (persistent pulmonary hypertension)
- sexual dysfunction
Birth defect lawyers allege that these birth defects could be avoided with more accurate pregnancy category warnings. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) assigns five pregnancy category warnings, A, B, C, D and X – A being the weakest warning and X being the most severe.
Most SSRI drugs carry a C or D warning, but an X warning – which states that studies have shown fetal abnormalities and that the risks of the drug outweigh the benefits – is what many SSRI birth defect lawyers allege should be given to these dangerous drugs. The FDA itself has warned about these serious side effects.
SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits: FDA Warnings
The FDA has issued warnings about SSRI birth defects:
- December 2005: The FDA warned that studies have shown that infants born to women who had first trimester paroxetine exposure had an increased risk of cardiovascular malformations, primarily ventricular and atrial septal defects (VSDs and ASDs). According to birth defect attorneysand a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, women who take these anti-depressant drugs during pregnancy quadruple the risk of their babies experiencing a septal heart defect.
- July 2006: The FDA warned that pregnant women exposed to SSRIs late in the third trimester (after their 20th week) have reported developing PPHN – breathing and lung problems. According to birth defect attorneys, the same study reported that the risk of PPHN is six times greater for women who take anti-depressant drugs during pregnancy than for women who haven't taken anti-depressants during pregnancy.
SSRI Birth Defect Lawyer
Although SSRI birth defect lawyers say that the FDA's warnings should be more stringent, they also say that manufacturers should provide better warnings to consumers about the dangerous side effects of SSRIs – especially to pregnant women. If your child has suffered an SSRI birth defect injury, contact an experienced birth defect lawyer to discuss your situation. Regardless of whether you took Paxil, Effexor, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac or any other SSRI drug, you and your child may be entitled to compensation for your SSRI birth defect damages.