An article published in the October, 2010 edition of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry by a team of researchers from Pfizer (Canada), led by É. Ramos, titled “Association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and infants born small for gestational age.” that sheds light on the connection between gestational exposure to SSRI drugs and low birth weight. SSRI drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and this team refers to low birth weight as “small for gestational age,” or SGA.
The team writes “A case-control study was performed using data from the Quebec Pregnancy Registry, which includes 152,107 pregnant women between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2002. For this study, eligible women were aged 15 to 45 years on the first day of gestation, had drug plan coverage from the Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec for 12 months or more prior to and during pregnancy, had at least 1 psychiatric disorder diagnosis before pregnancy, used ADs for at least 30 days in the year prior to pregnancy, and delivered a live singleton.” To be clear, “AD” means antidepressant drugs.
Results showed that “Among the 938 eligible pregnancies, 128 (13.6%) infants were born SGA. Other ADs, mainly venlafaxine, used by women during the second trimester were associated with an increased risk of infants born SGA, compared with nonusers of ADs (adjusted relative risk = 2.41; 95% CI 1.07 to 5.43).”
This means that women who used venlafaxine (Effexor) during pregnancy were 2.41 times as likely to have a child with low birth weight as women who had not used SSRIs during pregnancy.
Since so many women have used Effexor during pregnancy unaware of these and other risks, a number of Effexor® birth defects lawsuits have been filed. If you or a loved one used Effexor and gave birth to a child with a congenital malformation, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of Effexor® 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.
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Our SSRI Birth Defects Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about SSRIs and Birth Defects.