In 1996, C.D. Chambers et al. published a study titled “Birth outcomes in pregnant women taking fluoxetine.” in The New England Journal of Medicine studying the effects of prenatal exposure to Prozac (fluoxetine). Many studies since have demonstrated that babies born to mothers who used Prozac before birth are much more likely to be born with a congenital malformation or have adverse birth outcomes.
The team writes “From 1989 through 1995, we prospectively identified 228 pregnant women taking fluoxetine. We compared the outcomes of their pregnancies with those of 254 women identified in a similar manner who were not taking fluoxetine.”
After statistical analysis, the results showed that 5.5% of babies exposed to Prozac were born with malformations compared with 4% of control subjects. Also, “Among the 97 infants exposed to fluoxetine who were evaluated for minor anomalies, the incidence of three or more minor anomalies was significantly higher than among 153 similarly examined control infants (15.5 percent vs. 6.5 percent, P=0.03). As compared with the 101 infants exposed to fluoxetine only during the first and second trimesters, the 73 infants exposed during the third trimester had higher rates of premature delivery (relative risk, 4.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 20.8), admission to special-care nurseries (relative risk, 2.6; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 6.9), and poor neonatal adaptation, including respiratory difficulty, cyanosis on feeding, and jitteriness (relative risk, 8.7; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.9 to 26.6).Birth weight was also lower and birth length shorter in infants exposed fluoxetine late in gestation.”
Demonstrating that medical professionals had established prenatal Prozac exposure was linked to malformations, premature delivery, the need for special postnatal care, and adaptation difficulties, this paper can be used in a Prozac® birth defects lawsuit. Because many women have used Prozac unaware of these risks, many such Prozac® birth defects lawsuits have been filed.
If you or a loved one used Prozac 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 Prozac® birth defect 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.