SSRI Birth Defects Linked to Newborn Death

By Sarah Mirando | March 25, 2013

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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SSRI Birth Defects Linked to Newborn Death

By Christina Drury

Antidepressants have been safely taken by patients for years to help fight their depression symptoms. However, these drugs can carry certain risks if taken during pregnancy. SSRI antidepressants taken by expectant mothers have been linked to birth defects in their unborn children. A recent lawsuit filed in early 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claims that the plaintiff’s use of Zoloft during her pregnancy resulted in the death of her newborn child.

Zoloft During Pregnancy Led to Brain Malformation in Fetus

The recent lawsuit filed by plaintiff Justyne Eaton states that she took Zoloft while she was pregnant. Her daughter was born with brain malformations, along with pulmonary hypoplasia and hydrocephalus. Her daughter did not survive, and she is alleged to have died from Zoloft birth defects on January 6, 2010.

This case is just the latest in a series of Zoloft birth defect lawsuits alleging harm due to the use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy. With regard to the drug Zoloft, there are at least 270 other cases that have been joined together for the purpose of bellwether trials that are to take place this spring.

Eaton’s lawsuit against the defendant, Pfizer Inc., states 12 counts against the manufacturer alleging strict product liability, defective design, failure to warn, negligence and malice, breach of warrantees, fraud, and wrongful death.

Antidepressants Not without Side Effects

Antidepressants have been around for many years and their possible pregnancy side effects have been stated on the packaging; however, the more serious side effects were unfounded in three out of five studies conducted in 2011. As a result, the FDA endorsed the use of SSRIs during pregnancy and left the prescribing of the drugs to the discrepancy of health care providers.

The two well-known antidepressants Zoloft and Paxil have been linked to several types to birth defects, including:

Congenital heart defects
Atrial ventricular defects (ASD)
Ventricular Septal defects (VSD)
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in newborns
Abdominal Congenital defects
Cranial Congenital defects

The use of the drugs during pregnancy has been noticed by the Food and Drug Administration as a potential hazard to the unborn fetus; however, they still agree that the benefits in helping those battle depression for the patient outweigh any potential risks that may occur to the unborn child. Many lawsuits are pending against SSRI drug makers for the alleged birth defects or deaths the drugs caused.

Get the Help You Deserve

There is nothing worse than taking medication that is designed to help, only to find out that it has caused extreme SSRI birth defects in your baby. If you or anybody you know has experienced these Zoloft side effects, you can get more information on your options by visiting our Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Depakote & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page.

Updated March 25th, 2013

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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