Paxil Antidepressants Lead to Birth Defects Study, Lawsuit

By Top Class Actions | June 21, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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Study Validates SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuits

By Scott Hardy

Mothers who take SSRI antidepressant drugs like Zoloft and Paxil are filing birth defect lawsuits against drug manufacturers and a recent study is validating their claims. The study, listed in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that taking antidepressants while pregnant could lead to multiple complications for the unborn child.

Paxil, Zoloft and other SSRI drugs are being implicated in a number of different birth defects including Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, Autism Spectrum Disorder and club feet. The study stated that though most women stop taking SSRI antidepressant medications like Paxil and Zoloft during the first trimester of their pregnancy many do not and put their baby at risk of suffering a birth defect listed above or having the baby prematurely.

Most birth defect lawsuits name the makers of the SSRI antidepressant drug as defendants. Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) the maker of Paxil are often targets of birth defect lawsuits. Birth defects like Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) have been confirmed to be caused by SSRI drugs like Paxil and recently GSK paid out almost a billion dollars to settle Paxil PPHN birth defect lawsuit.

Birth defects may be caused by many different medications (not just SSRI antidepressant drugs like Zoloft and Paxil) if taken while pregnant and only an attorney and a doctor can determine if one of the medications taken during pregnancy may be responsible for birth defects. Most Zoloft birth defect lawsuits include a study by Pfizer that took place before Zoloft was approved by the FDA in 1991. Pfizer conducted animal trials which found that Zoloft caused severe side effects in animal fetuses. Even though Pfizer knew of the risk of birth defects many lawsuits allege Pfizer did nothing to warn patients and their prescribing physicians of the risks inherent in taking Zoloft while pregnant. Most birth defect lawsuits state that if the mother had know the risk of the birth defect they wouldn’t have taken Zoloft, Paxil or other SSRI antidepressant medication.

The recent study found that women who took SSRI drugs like Paxil and Zoloft during the second trimester had a higher instance of premature births. The study also found that mothers who took SSRI antidepressants in the third trimester could lead to the infant having convulsions or seizures. The number of Zoloft birth defect lawsuits has increased to the point that a Zoloft multidistrict litigation (MDL) was created. Some Zoloft users instead opted to file a Zoloft class action lawsuit which would be litigated in federal or state court. A Zoloft class action lawsuit may not be in the best everyone who took Zoloft and had a child with a birth defect. It’s important that if your child was born with a birth defect you speak with a qualified SSRI birth defect attorney to determine what is best for you. This may be filing an individual Zoloft lawsuit against Pfizer, filing a Paxil birth defect lawsuit or filing a Zoloft class action lawsuit. If your baby was born with a birth defect and you were taking Zoloft, another antidepressant SSRI drug like Paxil, or any other SSRI drug you should speak with an experienced SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect attorney. You can read an abstract of the study here.

If you would like more information about filing a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit, would like to contact a Zoloft birth defect attorney, or would like to file an individual Zoloft birth defect lawsuit just go to the Zoloft Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information to attorneys who specialize in Zoloft, Paxil and other related SSRI birth defect lawsuits. These birth defect attorneys are actively investigating all claims regarding birth defects like Craniosynostosis, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, Autism, club feet and other problems which may be attributed to Zoloft or another anti-depressant (SSRI) drug taken while pregnant. It is Pfizer’s and GSK’s responsibility to properly warn users of their drugs of the possibility of severe birth defects and if you feel you were not warned of the risk of birth defects an attorney may be able to help. Contact a Antidepressant birth defect attorney now.

Updated June 21st, 2012

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