Lexapro belongs to a family of antidepressants that have been allegedly linked to birth defects. However, antidepressants and birth defects are a complex field.

Epidemiological studies have found some evidence that SSRIs like Lexapro can cause some birth defects. Additionally, birth defect lawsuits have been filed by women who took Lexapro during pregnancy and gave birth to children with serious birth defects.

The birth defects allegedly linked to Lexapro and similar drugs include a variety of skull and heart defects. This includes cleft palate, cleft lip, heart defects like persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn or PPHN, and atrial septal defects.

Cleft palate and cleft lip are birth defects of similar severity. As the human body develops in the womb, the bones of the skull grow together from the sides and fuse together in the center.

This happens very early in the pregnancy, and certain chemicals and drugs can disrupt this process. In a cleft palate, the roof of the mouth does not fully fuse. This can make feeding almost impossible and requires surgery.

A cleft lip is a less severe form of the same disorder, wherein only the lips are not fully fused. However, since infants can only eat by suckling, this can prevent an infant from getting the food it needs to survive. While a simple surgery can correct this, cleft lips can be a death sentence in the developing world.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, or PPHN, is a birth defect where the blood vessels that lead from the heart to the lungs are too narrow. This makes the local blood pressure dangerously high in this part of the body.

Surgeons may be able to repair and modify the blood vessel to reduce the problem. However, heart surgery on an infant is always a risky proposition. SSRIs like Lexapro have been linked to an increased risk of PPHN and other heart defects.

Additionally, some infants born to mothers who took Lexapro during the pregnancy have been born with a “hole in the heart” or atrial septal defect. This is another heart birth defect, where the walls between various chambers of the heart fail to fully form, allowing oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix.

The fully-divided four chambers of the human heart are a major evolutionary advantage, allowing us to pump “high octane,” highly oxygenated blood from the lungs throughout the body. When this system is not functioning as effectively, the mixed, partially oxygenated blood doesn’t provide as much energy for the body.

Surgery can correct the defect, but again, open-heart surgery is a risky proposition. Atrial septal defects vary wildly in how obvious the effects are. Some adults can have undiagnosed atrial septal defects with no obvious symptoms, but the defect is associated with a shortened life span if uncorrected.

Unfortunately, it can be complicated to stop taking an antidepressant like Lexapro. Suddenly ceasing SSRIs like Lexapro may cause a rebounding of depression symptoms, as well as “discontinuation syndrome,” a constellation of symptoms similar to, but subtly different than withdrawal.

The main differences is that withdrawal causes patients to engage in drug-seeking behaviors, while patients suffering discontinuation syndromes typically do not crave or even want the drug. However, patients suffering from discontinuation syndrome may experience mood swings, muscle spasms, and possibly even rebounding depression symptoms.