An article published March 11, 2014 in BJOG: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology by L. Ban et al., a team from The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, titled “Maternal depression, antidepressant prescriptions, and congenital anomaly risk in offspring: a population-based cohort study.” provides insight into the connection between neonatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs and birth defects by means of a large, population-based study.
The stated objective of this study was “To estimate risks of major congenital anomaly (MCA) among children of mothers prescribed antidepressants during early pregnancy or diagnosed with depression but without antidepressant prescriptions”, and in all, just shy of 350,000 children born between 1990 and 2009 were studied.
The most shocking finding of this study was that paroxetine (Paxil) exposure was significantly associated with an increased risk for heart defects: “Paroxetine was associated with increased heart anomalies (absolute risk 1.4% in the exposed group compared with 0.8% in women without depression; aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.09-2.88), which decreased marginally when compared with women with diagnosed but unmedicated depression (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.00-2.80).”
This means that babies born to mothers who used Paxil during pregnancy were found to be 78% more likely to be born with a heart defect (if the mother was not depressed), and 67% more likely than if the other was depressed but unmedicated.
Because the manufacturer of Paxil has time and again failed to adequately notify women of the risk for heart defects associated with paroxetine, 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
(855) 452 – 5529
Our SSRI Birth Defects Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about SSRIs and Birth Defects.