SSRI Antidepressant Study: 50% of Mothers Unaware of Birth Defect Side Effects
By Andrea Gressman
Numerous SSRI Antidepressant Studies Indicate Substantial Risk of Birth Defect Side Effects
In a recent FDA report, mothers who take SSRI antidepressants while pregnant increase their risk of giving birth to a child with a birth defect by 1 to 2 times. They are also 6 times more likely to have a baby with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).
It is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control that there are currently 17 million Americans taking SSRI antidepressants. As a result, the SSRI antidepressant industry is estimated to be an $11 billion industry. By these staggering numbers it is evident that there are many babies being exposed to these side effect risks that the SSRI antidepressants have been linked to.
In a recent study that was published on May 2, 2012 by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, it indicated that women who took SSRI antidepressants while pregnant also significantly increased their chances of delivering a baby experiencing premature birth and seizures. Nearly 229,000 pregnancies were examined between 1999 and 2007 to establish this result and it also became evident that the side effect risk of birth defects increased when SSRI’s are taken later in the pregnancy.
A study published In January 2012 by the British Medical Journal revealed that using an SSRI antidepressant in the 3rd trimester of the pregnancy would double the side effect risk of delivering a baby with PPH. These particular results were consistent with a study completed in 2009 by the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology that reported the side effect risk of a baby being born with a heart defect tripled for mothers that took SSRI antidepressants during their pregnancy.
Women Continue to Go Uninformed of SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Side Effect Risks
Although the side effect risks are so prevalent, many mothers continue to go unaware of the severity of the potential birth defects their child may face if they use one of the SSRI antidepressants during their pregnancy. In a study released by Annals of Internal Medicine, it is estimated that 50% of all women taking SSRI antidepressants while being pregnant had no idea that the SSRI antidepressants can cause birth defects of any kind. It is evident by these numbers that these women are not being adequately warned of the complications and side effects of taking these types of drugs during pregnancy.
File an SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuit
If you had a baby with birth defects as a direct result of taking an SSRI antidepressant, such as anencephaly, cleft lip and/or cleft palate, a heart defect — including atrial septal defects (ASD) and ventricular septal defects (VSD) — Neonatal Adaptation Syndrome, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), Respiratory Distress, or delayed language development know your legal rights.
Updated November 5th, 2012
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