Wilmington Antidepressant & Anti-Anxiety Birth Defect Attorneys

Did Antidepressant Or Anti-Anxiety Medications Affect You And/Or Your Baby During Pregnancy?

There are many medical studies that support the correlation between antidepressant/anti-anxiety medications taken during pregnancy and newborn birth defects. Although these medications were approved by the FDA and deemed safe, many of these SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) have been known to greatly increase the risk of side effects during pregnancy. Some of these can cause serious birth defects, congenital abnormalities and other complications during pregnancy.

Despite the evidence associating the increased risk of such complications and birth defects during pregnancy, these medications are still being marketed. The FDA has issued two health advisories relating to SSRIs. And still, pregnant women taking these medications are putting their newborns and themselves at risk, unbeknownst to themselves.

The Rhine Law Firm, P.C., in Wilmington, North Carolina, our attorneys are experienced at handling such defective drug cases and is here to help you. Our law firm can assess your case and determine if it warrants pursuit in a court of law. Our lawyers can determine if you have grounds to sue the drug manufacturer and distributors of the medication(s) taken.

Some of the medications that have been linked are:

• Zoloft (Sertraline)
• Lexapro (Escitalopram)
• Prozac and Sarafem (Fluoxetine)
• Celexa (Citalopram)
• Paxil (Paroxetine)
• Effexor (Venlafaxine)
• Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine)
• Topamax (Topiramate)
• Wellbutrin/Zyban (bupropion)

A number of studies support the fact that SSRIs greatly increase the risk of myriad birth defects. Here are just a few findings from the many studies conducted on SSRI and birth defects:

• PPHN is six times more common in babies whose mothers use SSRIs during pregnancy.
• Neonatal abstinence syndrome, the term for newborn drug addiction, occurs in approximately 30 percent of infants whose mothers use SSRIs during pregnancy.
• Zoloft appears to more than triple the risk of life-threatening heart defects. Use of more than one SSRI increases the risk of this heart defect fivefold.
• Pregnant women taking SSRIs were 68 percent more likely to suffer a miscarriage.
• Maternal use of SSRIs later in pregnancy causes delays in the infant's motor development.

Other complications, serious side effects and birth defects associated with SSRIs include:

• Heart defects
• Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN)
• Other lung defects
• Craniosynostosis
• Abdominal birth defects (omphalocele)
• Neurological defects
• Cleft lip or cleft palate
• Club foot and other limb defects
• Neural tube defects (spina bifida)
• Anal atresia

If you took Lexapro, Zoloft, or any other antidepressant, anti-anxiety, SSRIs, SNRIs or mood drug during pregnancy and you suffered a miscarriage, or your child was born with a SSRI birth defect, you may have the legal right to seek compensation for your losses and suffering.

We Represent Clients Throughout North Carolina · Evenings And Weekends, Too

Please contact a Wilmington personal injury lawyer at the Rhine Law Firm, P.C., at (910) 772-9960 or (866) 772-9960 toll free today for a free consultation. Office hours 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening and weekend appointments also available.

Additional Information

• Antidepressants: Safe During Pregnancy? - May Clinic
• A Closer Look at the Link Between Specific SSRIs and Birth Defects
• What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Heart Defects?
• Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
• Craniosynostosis