Arizona Mother Files Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit

An Arizona mother who used Zoloft during her pregnancy has filed a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit against Pfizer for failing to warn her that using Zoloft while pregnant could injure her unborn baby. Her child, now 10 years old, was born with multiple congenital birth defects due to exposure to Zoloft while in the womb.
 
The mother, Christa Yazzie, filed the Zoloft birth defect lawsuit nearly 10 years to the date after her child was born with multiple congenital birth defects. Even though she’s an Arizona resident, her lawsuit joins an estimated 100 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania where an MDL (multi district litigation) was established in April 2012. The Zoloft lawsuit MDL was created to quickly and effectively resolve the growing number of lawsuits seeking to hold Pfizer liable for failing to warn parents about the risk of Zoloft birth defects such as cardiac defects, cleft palate and cleft lip, brain deformities, limb deformities, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), and other side effects. The Zoloft lawsuit MDL cites mounting evidence that SSRI antidepressants such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Lexapro can cause birth defects in children born to mothers who take them during pregnancy.
 
SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Evidence 
 
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or “SSRIs” like Zoloft and Paxil are prescribed for the treatment of psychological conditions like depression, anxiety and mood disorders. Plaintiffs in SSRI birth defect lawsuits allege they were never adequately warned that taking SSRIs during pregnancy can impair fetal health and development and lead to a variety SSRI birth defects, such as cardiac defects, brain and skull deformities (anencephaly and craniosynostosis), and developmental defects such as omphalocele, where the liver and intestines remain outside the abdomen. 
 
Several studies have confirmed the link between SSRI use during pregnancy and birth defects, which birth defect lawyers have presented as evidence in SSRI birth defect lawsuits. According to studies, women who use Zoloft and other SSRIs during pregnancy face a significantly higher risk of delivering an infant with birth injuries, especially if taken during the third trimester. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found the risk of cardiac defects was 50% higher in infants exposed to Zoloft during gestation.
 
A key allegation in many Zoloft birth defect lawsuits and other SSRI birth defect lawsuits is that Pfizer and other drug makers knew of these risks even before their drug was approved by the FDA. According to Christa Yazzie’s Zoloft lawyer, Pfizer conducted its own preclinical animal studies prior to FDA approval that demonstrated significant fetal harm, including cardiac malformations and increased risk of death. 
 
A more recent SSRI birth defect study, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that moms-to-be who use antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to go into premature labor or have their baby suffer a seizure soon after birth. The findings add to evidence presented in hundreds of antidepressant birth defect lawsuits filed against the makers of Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro and other SSRI antidepressants. 
 
Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit MDL
 
An estimated 100 Zoloft birth defects have joined the Pennsylvania MDL since it was created in April 2012. The Zoloft MDL is often a good idea for Plaintiffs bringing a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit because it can speed up the litigation process and allow hundreds, if not thousands, of lawsuits to be litigated more efficiently, which may lead to a faster lawsuit settlement. 
 
Some parents have opted to join a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit, which is currently being litigated. A class action lawsuit may not be in the best interest of everyone, though, because a Zoloft birth defect class action settlement could result in smaller payouts for victims of Zoloft birth defects. A qualified Zoloft birth defect attorney can determine what course of action is best for you and your family, and the first consultation is always free.
 
If you would like more information about filing a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit, joining the Zoloft MDL or joining the Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit, go to the Zoloft Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information to Zoloft attorneys who specialize in Zoloft lawsuits and are actively investigating all claims regarding SSRI birth defects like Craniosynostosis, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, Autism, club feet and other problems which may be attributed to Zoloft or another anti-depressant (SSRI) drug taken while pregnant. It the drug makers’ responsibility to properly warn users of their drugs of the possibility of severe birth defects, and if you feel you were not warned of the risk of birth defects an attorney may be able to help. This consultation is free.