CDC Announces Birth Defect Awareness Month

CDC shares how to avoid birth defects as part of Birth Defects Awareness campaign.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have named January National Birth Defects Prevention Month and the week of January 6 to 12 National Folic Acid Awareness Week. These announcements aim to improve the awareness of birth defects, particularly steps that people can take to prevent them.

The announcement seeks to inform the public “how common, costly, and critical birth defects are in the United States.” Per the CDC, as many as one in every 33 infants born in the United States suffer from some form of birth defect. While these vary wildly in their seriousness, birth defects cost U.S. hospitals more than $2.6 billion in healthcare costs. Birth defects are also the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States.

How to Avoid Birth Defects

The CDC’s announcement also seeks to advise women of how to lower their risk of having a child with birth defects. The CDC recommends that any woman who may become pregnant consume folic acid-rich foods or supplements, since this nutrient can decrease the risk of certain serious birth defects.

The agency also recommends that women who are pregnant avoid tobacco and alcohol, control their blood sugar if diabetic, and limit prescriptions and other medications to the bare essentials. This final recommendation comes in response to concerns that certain prescription medications may contribute to serious birth defects.

Some drugs, like thalidomide, are notorious for causing serious birth defects. However, hundreds of birth defect lawsuits consolidated in multidistrict litigation around the country allege that certain common antidepressants may contribute to serious birth defects. These include Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Effexor, and other SSRI antidepressants.

Take Legal Action

Studies have shown that women who take SSRI antidepressants during the first trimester of pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a child with congenital defects. These congenital defects include:

• ASD/VSD (hole in heart)
• Hypoplastic Left Heart or Right Heart Syndrome
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
• Other heart malformation or heart defect
• Cleft Palate or Cleft Lip
• Spina Bifida
• Omphalocele
• Club foot

If you took an antidepressant such as Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft or Effexor and your child was born with one or more of the birth defects listed above, you may qualify to pursue compensation from the drug manufacturer. Your child must be under the age of 18 and had surgery to correct his or her congenital defects. Learn more and obtain a free case review at the  Zoloft & SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation for a legal review by a trained expert with a background in this type of litigation. The initial consultation is completely free of charge, and from it, you can receive additional guidance on the best steps to take in your exact situation.