Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Such as Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft Found to Cause Increase in Risk of Infant Birth Defects

If you or someone you know took an anti-depressant such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft or another SSRI, standing for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, during pregnancy and gave birth to a baby who may suffer from any number of heart, lung or other birth defects, please contact us to find out more about your or her legal rights. Although our SSRI lawyers are located in Maryland (MD), Virginia (VA) and Washington, D.C. (DC), our drug litigation is national in scope, and our SSRI lawyers are prepared to file lawsuits and litigate SSRI cases around the country. Therefore, regardless of what state you are from, please fill out our “Contact-Us” form on the left side of this web page or email us so that Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP can have an SSRI lawyer contact you to discuss your claim and the potential of a lawsuit.

Studies previously established that babies born to mothers taking anti-depressant drugs, also known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), during pregnancy have a significantly increased risk of being born with birth defects affecting the respiratory system, such as Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension or PPHN. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension or PPHN is a rare and serious respiratory disorder that causes the newborn to not properly adapt to breathing in the outside world and the newborn is thereby unable to receive enough oxygen. Ten to twenty percent of all babies with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension or PPHN do not survive.

Additional scientific studies showed that SSRIs were even more dangerous to developing babies than previously suspected. SSRI anti-depressant intake during pregnancy has now been linked to several other serious birth defects. Studies show that using Paxil, a common anti-depressant SSRI, during the first trimester (three months) of pregnancy elevates the risk of atrial and ventricular septal heart defects. Babies exposed to SSRIs in the womb may also be born prematurely or at low birth weights. A Canadian Study from the University of Ottawa of almost 5,000 mothers, found that those who used an SSRI were more likely to deliver a baby that was premature and of low birth weight.

As science has developed, more and more evidence has surfaced linking SSRI intake during pregnancy to additional birth defects. The following is a list of possible birth defects that can occur as a result of SSRI anti-depressant intake during pregnancy:

• Anencephaly
• Autism
• Cerebal palsy
• Chiari malformation
• Club Foot
• Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate
• Craniosyostosis
• Heart Defects including:

o    Atrial Septal Defects
o    Patent Ductus Arteriosus
o    Patent foraman ovale
o    Tetralogy of Fallot
o    Transposition of the Arteries & Bicuspid Aortic Valve
o    Ventricular Septal Defects

• Hypospadias
• Omephalaocele
• Plagiocephaly
• Respiratory Defects, including:

o    Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN)
o    Pulmonary Stenosis
o    Respiratory distress

• Spina bifida
• Tethered spinal cord

There are numerous SSRI drugs. Below is a list of some of the SSRI’s:

• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)
• Wellbutrin (bupropion)
• Celexa (citalopram)
• Cipralex (escitalopram)
• Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate)
• Luvox (fluvoxamine)
• Remeron (mirtazapine)
• Effexor (venlafaxine)

The manufacturers of these anti-depressant drugs have failed to disclose and warn of all of the risks associated with taking SSRI medications during pregnancy. As a result, many women already have and may still be unknowingly exposing their unborn children to the risk of devastating birth defects.

What Should You Do If You Are Pregnant and Taking an Anti-Depressant, or SSRI?

If you are taking an SSRI and are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, please consult your physician immediately. If you (or someone you know) took an SSRI such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft or another anti-depressant drug and gave birth to a baby who suffers from a birth defect, you owe it to yourself to speak to an experienced drug and pharmaceutical attorney to see if you have a case and to discuss the possibility of bringing a lawsuit on behalf of the child to recover for the child’s damages and injuries or, in the case of death, a wrongful death lawsuit arising out of this tragic loss. The attorney will be able to ascertain if you have an SSRI anti-depressant birth defect claim for which a lawsuit can be pursued and whether the case and lawsuit can be brought to a successful settlement, verdict, award or other recovery. The experienced lawyer will also be able to advise you on any deadlines for bringing your legal claim for damages. Please contact the law firm of Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP to discuss your lawsuit with an experienced drug or pharmaceutical lawyer in our Drug Litigation Department.

Why Should You Choose Ashcraft & Gerel?

At Ashcraft and Gerel, LLP our dedicated lawyers and support legal professionals in our SSRI Litigation Group dealing with SSRI birth defect claims will take the time to review the specifics of your case and identify the best course of action in an SSRI lawsuit.

With over 58 years of experience and a track record of success in dealing with large pharmaceutical and drug companies, we have the firsthand knowledge necessary to produce a successful outcome for your personal injury case. “Big Pharma” will throw all of its resources at you in defending your lawsuit, and you need a lawyer and law firm with the size, experience and resources to withstand such tactics.

The lawyers at Ashcraft and Gerel, LLP have been leaders in pursuing lawsuits involving unsafe drugs, recalls of medical products, implants, and infusions for over 50 years. Our attorneys have successfully brought about verdicts, settlements, awards or other recoveries in lawsuits on behalf of clients who have been injured by Zyprexa, Fen-Phen, Rezulin, Propulsid, Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), Baycol, breast implants, AIDS tainted blood, Avandia, the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch, Vioxx, Crestor, and Ephedra. Although some of these claims and lawsuits resulted in class action settlements, class actions are not the only way these cases are handled. The courts have devised methods to deal with mass torts other than class actions so that each law suit can benefit from information and evidence gathered in other lawsuits nationwide and yet be handled on an individual, rather than a class, basis.

We have a toll free number to reach an attorney to answer your questions with regard to your specific case. That number is 1-800-829-7037. Please ask to speak to Robert Samet, and he will place you in touch with one of our drug litigation lawyers. If you would prefer, please feel free to e-mail us or complete the Contact form on the left side of this web page. Please be sure to include your name, address, telephone number (if you wish to be called), email address and the exact nature of your question, so that our lawyer can provide you with the specific information you seek.