Lawsuit Says Effexor Caused Life-Threatening Heart Defects in Baby

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A mother named Tiffany Taylor has sued Pfizer Inc. and related entities, alleging that their antidepressant drug Effexor caused her child to develop serious heart defects in utero.

Taylor took the drug during her pregnancy with her son, identified in court documents only as “M.L.T.” According to the Effexor lawsuit, M.L.T. was born with “serious, life-threatening birth defects.” These Effexor birth defects allegedly included serious heart defects, including anomalous venous return, a condition wherein the blood vessels that return oxygenated blood to the heart are abnormal.

The lawsuit states that these Effexor birth defects required surgical correction and that the injuries were caused by the drug. Taylor claims she took Effexor while pregnant as prescribed by her physicians without any modification to the packaged instructions.

The Effexor birth defect lawsuit asserts that the drug’s manufacturers were aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the risks associated with taking Effexor while pregnant. To support this assertion, Taylor asserts that since 1996, it has been known that SSRIs—the family of drugs which includes Effexor—could cause birth defects, particularly those of the heart. The birth defects lawsuit asserts that the manufacturers had a legal obligation to inform the public of these risks.

Taylor’s lawsuit further alleges that despite these risks, Pfizer and related companies continued to market the drug. She claims that drugs like Effexor do not include enough warning information about the risk of birth defects. The Effexor lawsuit holds that the manufacturers have actively concealed the risks associated with these drugs, from both health care professionals and patients like Taylor. In fact, the Effexor lawsuit characterizes Pfizer’s marketing as “aggressive,” both to physicians and patients. Her lawsuit alleges that she would have never taken the drug had she been aware of the risk of birth defects associated with Effexor and other SSRI drugs.

The Effexor birth defects lawsuit is formally titled Tiffany D. Taylor, Individually and as Parent and Natural Guardian of Plaintiff M.L.T., a Minor, v. Pfizer Inc., et al., Case No. 1:13-cv-03354-JPO, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Free Help for Victims of SSRI Birth Defects

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 congenital defects. Learn more and obtain a free case review at the SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.