Antidepressant Birth Defect Attorneys

The antidepressant birth defect lawyers at our pharmaceutical product liability law firm are helping families who have children born with birth defects after their mother took antidepressants during pregnancy.  Between 2% and 10% of all birth defects are caused by medications taken during pregnancy, and antidepressant birth defects are especially common.  Both SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and SNRI (norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) have been known to cause birth defects.  Many families affected by antidepressant birth defects have filed product liability claims against the manufacturers of these potentially dangerous antidepressant drugs.

If you gave birth to child with a serious birth defect after taking an antidepressant during pregnancy, you may be eligible to recover significant compensation in an antidepressant birth defect lawsuit.  Attorneys at our law firm are currently involved with a number of antidepressant birth defect lawsuits, and we have the experience and resources victims need to recover the full just compensation to which they are entitled.

Call us today at 1-888-554-2889 for more information.  We offer:

  • A free, no-obligation antidepressant birth defect claim evaluation
  • No fee unless we win your case
  • Flexible appointments
  • Helping antidepressant birth defect victims Nationwide

Antidepressants our Birth Defect Lawyers are Concerned With

While any antidepressant taken during pregnancy may cause serious birth defects, our birth defect lawsuit attorney team is especially concerned with the following potentially dangerous drugs:

  • Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
  • Celexa (Citalopram)
  • Paxil (Paroxetine)
  • Prozac (Fluoxetine)
  • Zoloft (Sertraline)
  • Effexor (Venlafaxine)
  • Symbyax (fluoxetine and olanzapine)
  • Lexapro (Escitalopram)

In many cases, antidepressant birth defects are formed in the first trimester of pregnancy, when many women are not aware that they are pregnant.  Physicians are warned to exercise extreme caution when prescribing antidepressants to all women of childbearing age for this reason.

Common Antidepressant Birth Defects

PPHN

A New England Journal of Medicine study reported that mothers who took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy had a six times higher risk of giving birth to a baby with PPNH than mothers who did not use an antidepressant during pregnancy.  Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin are all SSRI antidepressants that carry a higher risk of PPHN birth defects.

 

Heart Birth Defects

A recent study conducted by the FDA found that babies born to mothers who took SSRIs are at a greater risk for heart birth defects.  There are a number of cardiac birth defects that can be attributed to antidepressants, including:

  • Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
  • Atrial and ventricular septal defects

 

Omphalocele

An omphalocele is a birth defect where the infant’s abdominal organs protrude outside the body through an opening in the navel area.  This happens when the infant’s abdominal muscles fail to properly close, and is usually diagnosed before birth and treated with surgery immediately after birth.

 

Spina  Bifida

Spina bifida is a neural tube birth defect that occurs when the spinal column fails to close completely during development.  Spina bifida may not always be fatal, but there is no cure for this birth defect.  Spina bifida can result in paralysis, incontinence, altered skin sensation, difficulty walking, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, mental and social disabilities, depression, and learning disabilities.

 

Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is a birth defect that occurs when the sutures, or joints, between the bones of a baby’s skull close prematurely.  This can inhibit brain growth and may cause blindness, developmental delays, mental retardation, pressure on the brain, and seizures.

In addition to these common antidepressant birth defects, babies born to mothers who took antidepressants during pregnancy may be born with the following afflictions:

  • Anal atresia
  • Anencephaly
  • Aortic stenosis
  • Autism
  • Bone malformations
  • Cleft lip
  • Cleft palate
  • Clubfoot
  • Coarctation of the aorta
  • Double aortic arch
  • Double inlet left ventricle
  • Double outlet right ventricle
  • Esophageal Stenosis
  • Gastroschisis – abdominal wall defect
  • Genital malformations
  • Heart murmur
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS)
  • Intestinal malformations
  • Limb malformations
  • Lung defects
  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Neural tube defects
  • Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
  • Pulmonary atresia (PA)
  • Pulmonary stenosis
  • Skull malformations
  • Tetralogy of fallot (TOF)
  • Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)
  • Transposition of the great vessels (TGV)
  • Tricuspid atresia
  • Tricuspid valve (Ebstein’s Anomaly)
  • Tricuspid valve stenosis
  • Truncus arteriosus
  • Valve problems

In addition to these antidepressant birth defects, a 2004 Pediatrics study found that mothers who took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy had an increased risk of giving birth to babies with disrupted neurological development, alertness problems, and unusual sleep patterns.  A similar study found that babies born to mothers who took an SSRI during pregnancy were at an increased risk for sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal problems, tremors, and seizures.  The long term developmental effects of SSRIs taken during pregnancy are still unknown.

Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuits

Antidepressant birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed by families with children born with congenital birth defects after their mother used antidepressants during pregnancy.  While every case is different, many of these antidepressant lawsuits are based on similar claims of the drug manufacturer’s negligence in the following areas:

  • The manufacturer failed in its responsibility to warn of potential antidepressant birth defect risks
  • The manufacturer had access to medical studies that drew a link between many antidepressants and birth defects
  • The manufacturer failed to thoroughly investigate the accuracy of an antidepressant’s warning label after birth defect claims surfaced
  • The manufacturer did not monitor all literature about birth defects associated with a particular antidepressant

The bottom line is, drug makers must be held to a strict responsibility to ensure that their products are safe and that any side effects are clearly documented and presented to doctors and patients.  Our antidepressant birth defect lawyers believe that drug manufacturers negligent in this responsibility need to be held accountable.

Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuit Compensation

If you have a child who was born with a serious birth defect, we know that the financial and emotional burdens you face are tremendous.  Compensation from an antidepressant birth defect lawsuit can help families recover funding to help with:

  • Medical bills
  • Prescription costs
  • Personal care costs
  • Counseling

In addition to these financial damages, successful antidepressant birth defect lawsuits can also help victims be compensated for the extreme pain and suffering endured by their injured child and the rest of the family.

Contact an Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawyer

Our antidepressant birth defect law firm is dedicated to the pursuit of justice for families affected by birth defects caused by antidepressants taken during pregnancy.  If your child was born with a birth defect after being exposed to antidepressants in the womb, you may be able to recover compensation in an antidepressant birth defect lawsuit.  Contact us today for a free legal consultation where you can learn more about your rights.