If you or a loved one have taken an antidepressant, such as Prozac®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Zoloft®, Effexor® or Lexapro®, during pregnancy and given birth to a child with a birth defect or persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), you may be entitled to compensation, contact us for a free case consultation and evaluation or call toll free 1-800-448-0883.
Antidepressants or SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) have been linked to a higher risk of specific birth defects. Drugs in the antidepressant/SSRI class include Prozac®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Zoloft® Effexor®, and Lexapro®. These drugs are used to treat:
- Depression
- Panic Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
- Premenstrual Dsyphoric Disorder (PMDD)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Recent studies have raised concerns that women who take antidepressants during the first trimester of pregnancy are one and a half to two times more likely to have a baby with a birth defect, typically involving a heart defect, than women who were not taking antidepressants. Additional research also shows that the use of antidepressants during the latter half of pregnancy increases the risk of the newborn developing a serious birth defect involving the child's breathing - Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN).
Birth defects linked to antidepressants, like Prozac®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Zoloft®, Effexor®, and Lexapro®, include the following:
- HEART BIRTH DEFECTS (Atrial or Ventricular Septal Defects, Transposition of the Great Arteries, Coarctation "narrowing" of the Aorta, and Tetralogy of Fallot.)
- ABDOMINAL BIRTH DEFECTS (Omphalocele)
- CRANIAL BIRTH DEFECTS (Craniosynostosis)
- NEURAL TUBE BIRTH DEFECTS (Spina Bifida)
TOPAMAX® ALSO FOUND TO INCREASE THE RISK OF BIRTH DEFECTS
Topamax® (generic form Topiramate) made by Ortho-McNeil, a Johnson & Johnson company, has been linked to a higher risk of specific birth defects - cleft lip and cleft palate. The FDA issued its Topamax® health safety alert on March 4, 2011. The Topamax® alert warned that recent data from the National American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry (NAAED) provided evidence that Topamax® dramatically increases the risk for birth defects - cleft palate and cleft lip. The data showed a 1.4% prevalence rate and a 21.3 relative risk of the fetus developing birth defects as compared to the risk in the background population.
Fleming & Associates is accepting Antidepressant and Topamax® birth defect claims. Fleming & Associates has experience handling birth injury and birth defect claims. If you or a loved one has taken Topamax® or an antidepressant, such as Prozac®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Zoloft®, Effexor®, or Lexapro®, during pregnancy and given birth to a child with a birth defect or persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), you may be entitled to compensation. Contact us for a free case consultation and evaluation. Call 1-800-448-0883 or submit a case evaluation form.
On the Web: More Information about Antidepressants
Additional Information on the Increased Risks of Birth Defects & Topamax® or Birth Defects & Antidepressants, such as Prozac®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Zoloft®, Effexor®, or Lexapro®:
- Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, The New England Journal of Medicine
- Public Health Advisory: Treatment Challenges of Depression in Pregnancy and the Possibility of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns, FDA Advisory
- Study links antidepressant with birth defects, MSNBC
- First-Trimester Use of Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and the Risk of Birth Defect, The New England Journal of Medicine
- Small link found between antidepressants, birth defects, LA Times
- Some Antidepressants Pose Birth Defect Risks, USN Health
- Some small risks to antidepressants in pregnancy, Reuters
- What are SSRI Anti-Depressants?, Fleming | Nolen | Jez, L.L.P. blog
