Parents File Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit On Behalf of Son

The Tinsleys allege in the Zoloft birth defect lawsuit that their son was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) that resulted in significant developmental delays. He also faces hearing loss as a result of problems inside the womb, and was born with infant heart problems including patent ductus arteriosus. Their son has faced numerous surgeries as a result of cardiac defects, according to the Zoloft lawsuit.

Zoloft birth defect attorneys like those working with the Tinsleys note that even pre-approval animal studies indicated an uptick in birth problems in other mammals exposed to Zoloft in the womb. Zoloft studies completed following their son’s birth indicate there is a six-fold increase in the likelihood of omphalocele, where the organs are outside of the abdominal cavity. Cardiac defects for children of Zoloft users are roughly three times higher than in the overall population, the lawsuit says.

However, unlike some drugs including Paxil, the lawsuit notes that drug maker Pfizer Inc. has not updated its product labeling, nor has it used medical symposiums to try and educate healthcare professionals about the risk of Zoloft birth defects. Had Pfizer conducted post-marketing testing of Zoloft, the Tinsleys claim the company would have found even more evidence that Zoloft causes birth defects. As a result, they are suing Pfizer on counts of design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn, breach of implied and express warranties, gross negligence, fraud and more.

The Tinsley’s Zoloft birth defects lawsuit is Tinsley, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 13-cv-03953, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. It joins the multidistrict litigation In re: Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2342.