In 2011, a team of medical researchers from Australia led by L. Colvin, published a study titled “Dispensing patterns and pregnancy outcomes for women dispensed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pregnancy.” in Birth Defects Research, providing further evidence of a link between prenatal exposure to SSRI drugs and birth defects.  For clarity, “SSRIs” stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is a class of psychotropic medications aimed at raising levels of synaptic serotonin, a neurotransmitter key in the regulation of mood, sleep, and appetite, and that plays an important role in fetal development, particularly cardiovascular development.  Some common SSRI drugs are Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Effexor, and Zoloft.

The authors state “Using data linkage of population-based health datasets from Western Australia and a national pharmaceutical claims dataset, our study included 123,405 pregnancies from 2002 to 2005. There were 3764 children born to 3703 women who were dispensed an SSRI during their pregnancy.”

Results showed that women who used SSRI drugs during pregnancy were 40% more likely to give birth prematurely, and 20% more likely to bear children with low birth weight.  Further, “There was an increased risk of major cardiovascular defects (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3). The children of women dispensed citalopram during the first trimester had an increased risk of vesicoureteric reflux (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.6).”

That means that heart defects were 60% more common amongst babies born to mothers who used SSRIs during pregnancy, and that babies whose mothers used Celexa (citalopram) during the first three months of pregnancy were more than three times as likely to be born with vesicoureteric reflux.

Because many women have used Celexa or other SSRI drugs during pregnancy unaware of these risks, a number of Celexa® birth defects lawsuits have been filed.

If you or a loved one used Celexa and gave birth to a child with a congenital malformation or who had perinatal complications, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.  For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of Celexa® birth defects lawyers at the information provided below.  We have the experience, resources, and skills required to win the justice you deserve.  Call today and see how we can help.

(855) 452 – 5529

justinian@dangerousdrugs.us

Our SSRI Birth Defects Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about SSRIs and Birth Defects.