Nearly two years ago, an article titled “Depression and serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment as risk factors for preterm birth.” by K.A. Yonkers and a team of researchers from Yale University School of Medicine appeared in Epidemiology exploring the relationship between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs (SSRIs) and increased risk for preterm birth. This article, along with many other articles I’ve summarized at Dangerous Drugs are made available by PubMed Health, a service of the United States National Library of Medicine and The National Institutes of Health.
While many research teams have found that SSRI use during pregnancy is linked to birth defects, this team writes that “Major depressive disorder and the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in pregnancy have been associated with preterm birth”, and states “We sought to explore the separate effects of SRI use and major depressive episodes in pregnancy on risk of preterm birth.” For our purposes, “SRI” is equivalent to “SSRI.”
Yonkers writes “We conducted a prospective cohort study of 2793 pregnant women, oversampled for a recent episode of major depression or use of an SRI.” Results showed that SSRI use during pregnancy was associated with preterm birth both if the mother had a major depressive episode and if the mother had not.
As such, the team concluded that “SRI use increased risk of preterm birth. Although the effect of a major depressive episode alone was unclear, symptomatic women undergoing antidepressant treatment had elevated risk.”
Because many women who used SSRIs during pregnancy were unaware of the risks for preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, adverse birth outcomes, and increased risk for birth defects, SSRI birth defect lawsuits are being filed around the world.
If you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child who had a birth defect, perinatal complications, or was born prematurely, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, resources, and experience you need 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.