An article published last month in The New England Journal of Medicine further examined the link between gestational exposure to SSRI drugs and increased risk for serious heart defects. This article, was titled “Antidepressant use in pregnancy and the risk of cardiac defects.”, a study performed by K.F. Huybrechts et al.
As have many other study teams, K.F. Huybrechts et al. (2014) write, “there are concerns about a possible association between paroxetine use and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and between sertraline use and ventricular septal defects.”
This study included “949,504 pregnant women who were enrolled in Medicaid during the period from 3 months before the last menstrual period through 1 month after delivery and their liveborn infants”, and the team states that “We compared the risk of major cardiac defects among infants born to women who took antidepressants during the first trimester with the risk among infants born to women who did not use antidepressants”.
“A total of 64,389 women (6.8%) used antidepressants during the first trimester. Overall, 6403 infants who were not exposed to antidepressants were born with a cardiac defect (72.3 infants with a cardiac defect per 10,000 infants), as compared with 580 infants with exposure (90.1 per 10,000 infants). Associations between antidepressant use and cardiac defects were attenuated with increasing levels of adjustment for confounding. The relative risks of any cardiac defect with the use of SSRIs were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.38) in the unadjusted analysis, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.26).”
This means that babies exposed to SSRIs during pregnancy were 12-25% more likely to be born with cardiac malformations. Because the manufacturers of many SSRIs have failed time and again to warn women of these and other risks, waves of SSRI birth defect lawsuits have been filed in recent years.
Accordingly, if you or a loved one used SSRIs and gave birth to a child with a heart defect or who had other perinatal complications, 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, experience, and resources needed 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.