Parents Sue Pfizer Over Alleged Zoloft Birth Defects

By Robert J. Boumis | December 6, 2013

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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By Robert J. Boumis

Tiffany and Jason Coffey of California have sued Pfizer Inc., alleging that the antidepressant Zoloft caused their daughter, identified in court documents only as “C.L.C.,” to develop serious birth defects. Their daughter was born in 2006. The Zoloft lawsuit states that during her pregnancy with C.L.C., Tiffany Coffey was prescribed Zoloft and took it as prescribed. At C.L.C.’s birth, the child was diagnosed with life-threatening birth defects, including pulmonary stenosis, and malformations of the walls of the heart.

Pulmonary stenosis consists of a narrowing of the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs, dangerously increasing the blood pressure within this part of the circulatory system. Malformations of the walls of the heart allow deoxygenated blood and oxygenated blood to mix together, leading to less oxygen reaching the body’s tissues. In the case of C.L.C., court documents indicate that the child had to undergo heart surgery to correct these birth defects.

The birth defects lawsuit asserts that the manufacturers of Zoloft were aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the serious risks associated with their drug. The lawsuit asserts that studies have revealed that SSRIs like Zoloft were linked to poor health in infants, as well as birth defects.

Some of the studies cited in the Zoloft lawsuit date back to 1996. In fact, the lawsuit contends that the earliest animal trials of Zoloft, prior to its U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval, indicated that the drug could cause birth defects in mammals. The lawsuit further asserts that not only were the manufacturers aware of this potential risk, but they actively concealed it from patients and healthcare professionals by omitting the risk of birth defects from the product’s labeling.

Per the Zoloft lawsuit, Tiffany Coffey would have never used the drug while pregnant had she been aware of the risk of birth defects associated with the drug. The Zoloft birth defects lawsuit is formally titled Tiffany Coffee, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 2:13-cv-06353-CMR, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Obtain a Free Birth Defect Lawsuit Review

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:

Cleft Palate or Cleft Lip
Spina Bifida
Hypoplastic Left Heart or Right Heart Syndrome
Tetralogy of Fallot
Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
Omphalocele
Club foot
ASD/VSD (hole in heart)
Other heart malformation or heart defect

People are stepping forth with their concerns after their experience taking an antidepressant. 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.

All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.

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