Zoloft Heart Defects in Newborns Lead to Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits

Zoloft, the popular SSRI anti-depressant, has been linked to heart problems in newborns as a side effect of taking the drug during pregnancy. Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of this dangerous Zoloft birth defect in 2006, the drug is still on the market and available to patients around the world – including women who may become pregnant.

Families who discovered this danger too late have filed Zoloft birth defect lawsuits to seek damages for their children affected by an array of Zoloft birth defects, including heart defects like atrial septal defects (ASD), ventrical septal defects (VSD), PPHN, and others. Parents who believe Zoloft or another SSRI antidepressant such as Paxil, Prozac, Lexapro or Celexa is to blame for their child’s birth defects are urged to speak with an SSRI birth defect attorney right away to see if they have a case to seek compensation from the drug’s manufacturer through an SSRI birth defect lawsuit, Zoloft class action lawsuit or other form of legal action.

Zoloft Heart Defects Lead to Lawsuits

As a result of finding that their infants have Zoloft heart defects, parents are filing Zoloft birth defect lawsuits across the country. Families filing for Zoloft birth defect settlement damages include those with newly diagnosed infants and parents who have been living with a child with Zoloft heart problems for years. These Zoloft heart defect lawsuits allege that drug maker Pfizer is liable for compensatory damages for failing to adequately warn mothers that taking Zoloft during pregnancy could cause because irreversible heart defects that will require lifetime care and continually mounting hospital bills.

Zoloft Side Effect – Potentially Deadly Heart Issues

Zoloft has been linked to many kinds of birth defects in children whose mothers took the SSRI antidepressant while pregnant. One of the most common Zoloft side effects is persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), which affects the arteries in the infant’s lungs. Instead of closing and opening as they should, Zoloft PPHN causes the arteries not to close up correctly, which can lead to dangerously high blood pressure.

To compensate for the high blood pressure, the infant’s heart works overtime. The right side of their heart works harder than normal to try and balance the high blood pressure. This pulls blood through the body inappropriately, resulting in low blood oxygen levels and breathing problems. In 2006, the FDA warned the public about the risk of Zoloft PPHN, cautioning parents that there is no cure for this potentially fatal condition.

Other commonly reported Zoloft side effects if taken during pregnancy are atrial septal defects (ASD) and ventrical septal defects (VSD). Both Zoloft heart defects are sometimes described as “holes in the heart,” but are actually caused by small openings between the chambers. Babies born with Zoloft ASD or Zoloft VSD may have to undergo open-heart surgery to repair the holes, depending on the severity of the case.

Treating these Zoloft birth defects can quickly lead to enormous medical bills. A Zoloft lawsuit settlement may be able to help families pay for the cost of ongoing medical care, surgeries, treatments and lifestyle changes required to properly care for a child born with Zoloft birth defects.

Getting Help for Zoloft Birth Defects

Many are left to wonder why would mothers-to-be take a drug that could compromise the health of their child. The fact remains that most don’t know about the interactions until it is too late. Zoloft causes hearth problems in infants whose mothers took the SSRI antidepressant in the first three months of pregnancy – a time when many women are not 100% aware that they are pregnant and therefore unable to remove unacceptable drugs from their systems.

Further, the FDA’s warnings about Zoloft heart defects have not always been in the public eye. The agency did not share these important side effects of Zoloft with the public until 2005, when it issued a public health advisory that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) can increase the risk of heart defects in newborns. That advisory was upgraded in 2006 to a public health alert, bringing awareness of the link between Zoloft and heart defects to the forefront.

If you believe your child is the victim of a Zoloft birth defect, don’t bear the burden alone. Contact a qualified Zoloft birth defect attorney by visiting the Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. From there you can provide your information and receive a free consultation from a Zoloft lawyer. Your child’s future is too important to leave to chance. Seek the legal counsel you need in order to receive the compensation that you deserve through a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit, Zoloft class action lawsuit, or other SSRI birth defect lawsuit.