New Study Links Paxil and Prozac to Increased Risk of Birth Defects
A new study published in the British Medical Journal points to a link between pregnant women who take certain anti-depressants and an increased risk of their children developing serious birth defects. As reported by Reuters, researchers surveyed more than 28,000 women to see if they took “Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft any time from one month before conception through the third month of pregnancy.” All five of these drugs are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs, a class of drug that may be linked to birth defects.
The good news is that Celexa, Lexapro and Zoloft were found to have no association with specific birth defects that the study measured. For pregnant women who took Paxil or Prozac, however, “birth defects occurred 2 to 3.5 more frequently compared with women who did not take them.”
The potential dangers of Paxil and Prozac
The study did not conclude that Paxil and Prozac cause birth defects; only that there is a possible link between the two. Researchers examined 30 different types of birth defects as listed in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Of the 14 applicable birth defects, five were more closely associated with the use of Paxil or Prozac:
- Holes in the heart, known as atrial septal defects
- Congenital heart defects which lead to blockages in the right ventricle (or “right ventricular outflow tract obstruction,” to be precise)
- Craniosynostosis, a condition where the skull bones knit together before the baby’s brain is fully formed. It usually leads to a misshapen head.
- Neural tube disorders like anencephaly, a condition where pieces of a newborn’s skull and/or brain are missing
- Gastroschisis or Omphalocele, which causes the baby’s intestines to be outside of the body when the child is born
The final two birth defects have a higher mortality rate than the others, but all five are very serious. Women who took certain SSRIs and gave birth to children with these types of conditions and injuries may have a viable lawsuit against the makers of the drugs. The study implies that more work needs to be done to find out whether or not Paxil and Prozac actually cause birth defects, or if there is another reason for the link.
Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. is one of Maryland’s leading personal injury law firms. Our experienced medical product liability lawyers can help you if you believe that your child’s birth defect is related to your prescription medication use. Please contact us to learn more.
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Bruce Plaxen was honored as the 2009 Maryland Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Maryland Association for Justice. For more information on his legal background, please visit his attorney bio.