An article published in the February, 2010 edition of the medical journal Birth Defects Research titled “First-trimester use of paroxetine and congenital heart defects: a population-based case-control study.” provides further evidence for the connection between paroxetine (Paxil) and cardiovascular birth defects.
This study, conducted by M.K. Bakker et al., a Dutch research team, “performed a case-control study with data from a population-based birth defects registry in the Netherlands. All the children born between 1997 and 2006 were selected. Cases were defined as fetuses and children with isolated heart defects, and the controls were fetuses and children with a genetic disorder with no heart defect.” Children whose prenatal drug exposure could not be confirmed were excluded, and “First-trimester exposure to paroxetine was compared between cases and controls by calculating adjusted odds ratios (AOR).”
In all, prenatal drug exposure for 678 children with heart defects was compared to 615 children without cardiovascular malformation. Results showed that “After excluding mothers who used paroxetine outside the first trimester, or who had used another SSRI, we found … a significantly increased risk for atrium septum defects (three exposed cases; AOR, 5.7; 95% CI, 1.4-23.7).” That means that the risk for atrium septum defects (ASD) was found to be increased 570% for children whose mothers used Paxil during pregnancy, compared to mothers who had not. For information on this other heart defects linked to Paxil, follow the preceding link.
Because the manufacturers of Paxil have time and again failed to notify women of the risk for birth defects associated with Paxi use during pregnancy, a number of Paxil® birth defect lawsuits have been filed. If you or a loved one used Paxil and gave birth to a child with a heart defect or another congenital malformation, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of Paxil® 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.