Mother Blames Zoloft for Son’s Heart Defects
By Christina Drury
A new lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida against the makers of Zoloft on February 4, 2013. The plaintiff, a Florida mother, is claiming that the SSRI antidepressant medication was the cause of her son’s severe congenital heart defects. According to the lawsuit, the mother was suffering from post-partum depression following the birth of her previous child and was prescribed Zoloft. Unaware of the potential risks of Zoloft on a developing fetus, the mother continued to take the SSRI through her pregnancy with her son.
Plaintiff and her Doctor were Unaware of the Dangers of Zoloft
When the plaintiff was prescribed Zoloft both she and her doctor were unaware of the danger the SSRI posed on her unborn baby, according to the lawsuit. Her son was born in December 2004 with two congenital heart defects known as Ventricular Septal Defect and Patent Foramen Ovale.
Ventricular Septal Defect is a condition that manifests as a hole between the two lower chambers which enables oxygen-rich blood to mix with the oxygen-poor blood in his heart. This mixture of these two types of blood causes added strain on her son’s heart, cardiovascular system and lungs.
The second congenital defect known as Patent Foramen Ovale refers to a hole in the upper chambers of the child’s heart that usually exists while the fetus is still developing in the womb to allow blood to bypass the unborn child’s lungs which are not used while in the womb. This hole is expected to close up once the child is born allowing blood to reach the lungs; however, if the hole does not close, the child is diagnosed with a heart defect.
Lawsuit Claims Pfizer Failed to Warn the Public
The Zoloft birth defect lawsuit alleges that there has been evidence and signs building against the SSRI medication since the 1990s that it cause problems to developing fetuses. The plaintiff states that Pfizer should have known or already knew that the antidepressant was connected to birth defects but chose not to add any warnings to the label addressing that risk. By withholding such information, the Zoloft lawsuit accuses Pfizer of misleading doctors and patients about the adverse side effects of Zoloft.
The plaintiff and her husband allege that their son has been hospitalized several times and has undergone multiple surgeries and continuous medical tests to treat the Zoloft heart defect. The plaintiff is charging Pfizer with negligence, product liability and fraud. The couple is seeking compensation in excess of $75,000 from Pfizer.
Are You Seeking Compensation?
If you or a loved one has taken the SSRI antidepressant Zoloft during pregnancy and has given birth to a child with a congenital heart defect, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about the lawsuit against Zoloft, please visit our Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can also submit your information online to our team of legal experts who will advise you on your potential lawsuit.
Updated March 5th, 2013
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