Risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn from SSRI Antidepressants
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a rare and sometimes fatal disease that has been associated with maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy. Babies with PPHN have extremely high pressure in their lung blood vessels and are not able to get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. PPHN is a life-threatening requires immediate treatment.
Background on SSRI Antidepressants Dangers and Pregnancy
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are the most common medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and certain personality disorders because of their efficacy and safety profiles. They include drugs like Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Fluvoxamine, Paxil, Zoloft, and Symbyax.
However, the safety of SSRIs are compromised when taken by pregnant women because SSRIs can cross the placenta and enter the fetal bloodstream. SSRIs have been associated with neonatal complications such as neonatal abstinence syndrome from experiencing withdrawal of the drug, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
In December 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning stating that exposure to paroxetine (the generic name for Paxil) in the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk for congenital malformations, particularly cardiac malformations.
An earlier study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in babies of mothers who used certain commonly prescribed antidepressants in late pregnancy. Other studies awaiting final publication have shown a 2-fold increased risk of having a baby with a heart defect for mothers who received Paxil early in their pregnancy.
Medical experts say paroxetine exposure is especially harmful in the first trimester because fetal heart development occurs early in pregnancy. The most critical period in development is between three and seven weeks after fertilization, when a heart tube assumes the shape of a 4-chambered heart.
Paxil PPHN Lawsuits: 2009 Update
Hundreds of parents of PPHN babies that were exposed to Paxil in the womb, have filed personal injury suits against GlaxoSmthKline, the manufacturer of Paxil. On October 13, 2009, in the first Paxil birth defect case to go to verdict, Pennsylvania jurors found that GlaxoSmithKline "negligently failed to warn" the doctor treating the mother about Paxil's risks, concluding Paxil was a "factual cause" of the child's heart defects. The drug maker must pay $2.5 million in compensatory damages over claims claims that GlaxoSmithKline knew Paxil caused birth defects and hid the risk to increase profits.
Your Legal Rights Explained
Parents of a baby with pulmonary hypertension, heart injuries or other birth defects whose mother took SSRI anti-depressant drugs while pregnant are welcome to contact our law firm to learn about your rights. You may be eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer of the anti-depressant drug prescribed during pregnancy to obtain compensation for the injury inflicted on your baby.
We have successfully represented scores of patients across America suffering from pulmonary hypertension and other serious medical conditions caused by dangerous prescription drugs in product liability litigation.
Contact Lieff Cabraser
Parents of a baby with pulmonary hypertension or heart defects may be eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer of antidepressant drugs prescribed during pregnancy. Please click here to contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser to discuss your legal rights at no cost or obligation. We will handle all inquiries with the strictest confidentiality and sensitivity. Alternatively, you may call us toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to attorney Heather Foster. We also welcome inquiries from counsel considering referring a case. Lieff Cabraser has strong relations with the plaintiffs' bar across the U.S.
About Lieff Cabraser
Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a sixty-plus attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. For the last seven years, the National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser as one of the top plaintiffs' law firms in America.
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