Amanda Antell  |  September 2, 2015

Category: Legal News

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birth-defect-babyAcross America, millions of expectant mothers on prescription antidepressants are finding themselves choosing between their medications and the health of their unborn babies.

Numerous cases of birth defects have been reported in correlation with Zoloft and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), from mothers who babies were born with birth defects.

In one recent example, a mother of a seven-year old is suing Pfizer Inc. for allegedly prescribing her an unreasonably dangerous medication and causing preventable harm to her child.

Plaintiff, Linda J., had given birth on March 26, 2008 and her baby had been born with numerous birth defects, including: malrotation of intestines, sacral dimple, volvulus, mega cisterna magna, and other birth defects.

Medical records indicate that the minor plaintiff had to undergo a Ladd’s procedure to unblock his small intestine. The child could also be suffering from underlying conditions and will require a lifetime of intensive care and treatment. The plaintiff has had to completely readjust her life to her child’s needs, who requires physical therapy as well as cognitive therapy, and will continue to incur massive medical expenses.

According to the Zoloft birth defects lawsuit, Linda had been taking Zoloft for her depression during the entire course of her pregnancy. As mentioned before, Zoloft is apart of the SSRI drug family that has garnered a massive following in the patient population and medical community since its release on Dec. 30, 1991.

Over the years, Zoloft has been approved to treat major depression and anxiety disorders, becoming a preferred choice for patients due to its lack of emotional side effects. In contrast to traditional antidepressants, SSRI drugs work by only channeling certain brain chemicals to achieve emotional balance, rather than grasping the entire brain.

Overview of Zoloft Birth Defect Complications

While Zoloft and other SSRI medications have proven to be effective treatment methods for their intended purposes, they have been labeled as class “C” drugs by the FDA for years.  This means that these drugs have caused harm to animal fetuses, indicating possible danger to human fetuses. Additionally, there have been numerous Zoloft injury reports indicating that the drug could cause potential harm to unborn children.

Despite the severity of these dangers, Pfizer and other drug manufacturing companies had not included birth defects as a possible side effects on their respective SSRI medications.

Linda reiterated this complaint, stating that at no point during her pregnancy or Zoloft prescription in general, did Pfizer notify her or her physician of these possible dangers. There were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label, nor did the defendant provide any relevant studies.

Linda’s lawyers state that Pfizer had the civil responsibility of warning their client and other Zoloft patients of these possibilities, because they rely on the accuracy of the given information. Linda insists that she never would have used Zoloft if she had known the risk of birth defects.

So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Linda is suing Pfizer. The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

This Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit is Case 2:15-cv-00388-CMR, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The birth defect attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, birth defect lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or a loved one took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Celexa, Cymbalta or Depakote during pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a congenital defect, you may have a legal claim against the drug’s manufacturer. Find out if you qualify to pursue compensation for your child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages by filling out the form below now.

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.