Personal Injury Blog

SSRI Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects

An expectant mother will take precautions to protect her unborn child.  She will usually make regular visits to the doctor’s office and take prenatal vitamins to help in the development of the baby.  Over the last few years, some expectant mothers were horrified to find out that the medication they were taking caused serious birth defects. 

Women taking antidepressants containing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during the first trimester of pregnancy were found to be one and a half to two times more likely to have an infant born with heart defects than women not taking these drugs.  Another study discovered that women taking SSRI antidepressants, such as Paxil, Celexa, Fluvoxamine, Lexapro, Prozac, Symbyax and Zoloft, after the 20th week of pregnancy were six times more likely to have a baby born with a disorder known as persistent pulmonary hypertension than mothers not taking the medication.

Drugs, such as Paxil, have been linked to numerous birth defects, including cardiac defects, persistent pulmonary hypertension, neural-tube defects, abnormally shaped skull, club foot, infant omphalocele and anal artesia.

If you have taken an SSRI antidepressant and your child has birth defects, you need to contact an experienced Florida injury lawyer immediately at the Law Offices of Lilly, O’Toole & Brown, LLP at (863) 683-1111.  You may be able to pursue compensation for your child’s injuries.