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Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutrin & Antidepressants Birth Defects
- Issue: Birth defects in infants
Paxil Side Effects: Drug Linked to Significant Risks of Birth Defects
The antidepressant drug, Paxil, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, has been linked to birth defects when prescribed to mothers while pregnant. Paxil, Paxil Oral Suspension, and Paxil-CR are trade names of the drug, "Paroxetine," which is a member of a class of drugs known as "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" (SSRIs), used for the treatment of depression in adults.
2X Risk of Birth Defects From Paxil
Based on a study of over 3,500 pregnant women conducted by GlaxoSmithKline in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors that Paxil was linked to twice as many birth defects compared to other antidepressants when taken during the first three months of pregnancy.
Defects in the study included:
- abdominal birth defects (omphalocele, an abnormality in which an infant's abdominal organs protrude from the navel)
- congenital defects (craniosynostosis, a disease that causes an abnormally shaped skull)
- club foot
- seizures
- neural tube defects (birth defects of the spinal chord and brain)
- heart defects
- persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN)
PPHN is a disorder in which the newborn's arteries to the lungs remain constricted after delivery, limiting the amount of blood flow to the lungs and therefore the amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. The FDA warned of the risk between Paxil and PPHN in July, 2006.
Paxil Birth Defect Lawsuits
In lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline, parents whose children were born with birth defects allege that GlaxoSmithKline should have provided a stronger medical warning to patients and their physicians regarding the association between Paxil and birth defects. The Paxil lawsuits also allege that GlaxoSmithKline knew that taking Paxil during pregnancy poses serious health risks to the developing fetus.
Contact Lieff Cabraser
If your child was born with pulmonary hypertension, heart injuries or other birth defects and you were prescribed Paxil or other antidepressant drugs while pregnant, please contact our law firm to learn about your rights. Lieff Cabraser represents persons across America injured by undisclosed and dangerous side effects from prescription drugs.
We will review your case at no charge or obligation. We handle all inquiries with the strictest confidentiality and sensitivity. Please click here to contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser or call us toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to attorney Heather Foster.
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Please click here to contact a personal injury attorney at Lieff Cabraser experienced in litigating cases involving prescription drugs that cause birth defects and other dangerous side effects. Or call us toll-free at 1 800.541.7358 and ask to speak to attorney Heather A. Foster. There is no charge or obligation for our review of the injuries your child suffered. We will promptly review your case and advise you of your legal rights.
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