SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit Information
including Primary
Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Lawsuit Information, Persistent Pulmonary
Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawsuit Information, Spina
Bifida Birth Defect Lawsuit Information, and Neural Tube
Birth Defect Lawsuit Information by SSRI Birth Defect
Attorney Jason S. Coomer
Women that have taken SSRI antidepressants
such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil during pregnancy may be at a
increased risk of their children having birth defects and health
problems. Recent studies have been linked SSRI Antidepressants
to birth defects and other health problems in babies including
persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) or
developing a lung disorder, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).
In a recent study published in the New England Journal of
Medicine, women who took antidepressants in the third trimester
delivered babies who were six times more likely to have
persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) or
developing a lung disorder, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH)
than babies not exposed to SSRIs.
If you or a loved one is
taking a SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy or have had a
child with primary pulmonary hypertension or other birth
defects, it is important to seek medical assistance and advice.
If you have questions about a potential SSRI Birth Defect
Lawsuit, feel free to e-mail any questions you might have to
toxicdose@texaslawyers.com.
SSRI Birth Defects, Primary Pulmonary
Hypertension (PPH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension of a Newborn,
and other Potential Health Problems
Primary Pulmonary
Hypertension (PPH) is a disorder of the lungs in which the
arteries are severely restricted, causing the blood pressure in
the pulmonary artery of the heart to rise to excessive levels.
Blood flow is restricted and oxygen levels in the blood are
suppressed.
Primary Pulmonary
Hypertension (PPH) is a rare disease in the statistical
sense, in that there are between one and two cases of
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
per million residents of the United States, which results in 300
new cases per year. However, recent studies show that
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) may
be more prevalent than once thought as many cases have
gone undiagnosed and the number of cases appear to be on the
rise.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN)
starts while the baby is in the womb. It is thought that the
SSRI antidepressants effect the baby's natural development.
During pregnancy circulation is handled by the placenta and does
not go through the lungs, but after birth, the baby's
circulation switches over from the ductus arteriosus (which now
closes) to the lungs. However, in a baby born with Persistent
Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN),
the ductus arteriosus stays open and the baby's blood flow
continues to bypass the lungs. Because the blood does not enter
the lungs, it returns to the heart very low in oxygen causing
serious health problems. The baby's organs, such as the brain,
kidneys and liver quickly become stressed due to lack of oxygen.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN)
is usually diagnosed within 12 hours of delivery.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the
newborn is a cardiopulmonary disorder characterized by systemic
arterial hypoxemia secondary to elevated pulmonary vascular
resistance with resultant shunting of pulmonary blood flow to
the systemic circulation. This pathophysiologic syndrome has
been variously described as: Persistent pulmonary vascular
obstruction, Persistent fetal circulation, Pulmonary vasospasm,
Neonatal pulmonary ischemia, Persistent transitional
circulation.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the
newborn (PPHN) is the result of elevated pulmonary vascular
resistance to the point that venous blood is diverted to some
degree through fetal channels (i. e. the ductus arteriosus and
foramen ovale) into the systemic circulation and bypassing the
lungs, resulting in systemic arterial hypoxemia.
This disorder can be classified into three
forms dependent on the likely etiology of the pulmonary
hypertension: PPHN associated with pulmonary parenchymal
disease, such as hyaline membrane disease, meconium aspiration,
or transient tachypnea of the newborn as the cause of alveolar
hypoxia known as secondary PPHN or appropriate PPHN alveolar
oxygen tension appears to be the major determinant of pulmonary
artery vasoconstriction. PPHN with radiographically normal lungs
and no evidence of parenchymal disease frequently called
Persistent Fetal Circulation (PFC), or primary or inappropriate
PPHN. PPHN associated with hypoplasia of the lungs most often in
the form of diaphragmatic hernia associated with an anatomic
reduction in capillary number in addition to the pathophysiology
listed below.
FDA Information on SSRI Antidepressant
Birth Defects, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), Primary
Pulmonary Hypertension of a Newborn, and other Potential Health
Problems
A recent study on women who had been treated
with antidepressant drugs that act as selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) showed risks of SSRI medications
during pregnancy. This study focused on newborn babies with
persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), which is a serious and
life-threatening lung condition that occurs soon after birth of
the newborn. Babies with PPHN have high pressure in their lung
blood vessels and are not able to get enough oxygen into their
bloodstream. About 1 to 2 babies per 1000 babies born in the
U.S. develop PPHN shortly after birth, and often they need
intensive medical care. In this study PPHN was six times more
common in babies whose mothers took an SSRI antidepressant after
the 20th week of the pregnancy compared to babies whose mothers
did not take an antidepressant. The study, by Christina Chambers
and others, was published on February 9, 2006 in The New England
Journal of Medicine.
The finding of PPHN in babies of mothers who
used a SSRI antidepressant in the second half of pregnancy adds
to concerns coming from previous reports that infants of mothers
taking SSRIs late in pregnancy may experience difficulties such
as irritability, difficulty feeding and in very rare cases,
difficulty breathing. In addition, the labeling for paroxetine (Paxil)
was recently changed to add information about findings in an
epidemiology study suggesting that exposure to the drug in the
first trimester of pregnancy may be associated with an increased
risk of cardiac birth defects (see FDA Public Health Advisory
for Paxil dated December 8, 2005).
Women who are pregnant or thinking about
becoming pregnant should not stop any antidepressant without
first consulting their physician. The decision to continue
medication or not should be made only after there has been
careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks of the
medication for each individual pregnant patient. If the decision
is made to stop treatment with SSRIs before or during pregnancy,
this should be done with a healthcare professional, according to
the prescribing information for the drug, and patients should be
observed closely in case their depression comes back.
SSRI Birth Defect Lawyers, Primary
Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Lawyers, Primary Pulmonary
Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawyers, and Prozac, Zoloft and
Paxil Lawyers
Texas Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
Attorney Jason Coomer commonly works with other SSRI Birth
Defect lawyers throughout Texas and the United States including
Houston Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN)
Lawyers, Boston SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawyers, San
Antonio Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN)
Lawyers, Dallas Defective Medication Lawyers, and other Austin
Dangerous Drug Attorneys. By sharing information and working
together, his law firm and other firms throughout Texas and the
United States are able to provide better representation for
there clients.
If you or a loved one is
taking a SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy or took Zoloft,
Paxil, Prozac, or another SSRI antidepressant drug during
pregnancy and have had a child with primary pulmonary
hypertension (PPH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in
Newborns (PPHN), or other birth defects, it is
important to seek medical assistance and advice. If you have
questions about a potential SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit, feel free
to e-mail any questions you might have to
toxicdose@texaslawyers.com. or go to the following web
page with additional information on
SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits,
Spina Bifida Birth Defect Lawsuit and
Antidepressant Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit. |