Birth Defects

Over the past decade, researchers have identified several serious Paxil birth defects that may be related to taking Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drugs like Paxil during pregnancy.

Some of the birth defects linked to Paxil include:

• club foot
• heart defects
• lung defects
• skull deformities
• defects of the brain and spine
• abdominal defects

If your child was born with one of these conditions, it is important to know if a defective drug was the cause and what legal options you have. Lawyers have helped thousands of families recover for their children’s Paxil birth defects.

Paxil has been taken by nearly 100 million people. Many of these were expectant mothers who were not properly warned of the dangers to their infants. Experts now fear that millions of children may have suffered birth defects as a result.

If your child was born with any birth defect after you took Paxil, it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. You may be entitled to a substantial recovery to help them. However, the time to file a claim is limited. 

The maker of Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline, has paid nearly $1 billion to resolve side effect lawsuits, or approximately $1.2 million for each Paxil birth defects case.  Research the specific conditions linked to these drugs below.

Paxil Heart Defects

Atrial septal defects (ASD) and ventricular septal defects (VSD) are dangerous and sometimes fatal conditions characterized by holes in the walls of an infant’s heart chambers. These can occur when the heart does not develop properly.

A warning was issued in 2005 by the FDA that taking SSRI drugs like Paxil during pregnancy can increase the risk of these heart defects.

Paxil Club Foot

Club Foot is a lower leg defect where an infant’s bones, muscles and joints develop improperly, resulting in the foot growing in an inward-facing position.

The Institute of Reproductive Toxicology at the University of Ulm, Germany and the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University recently published studies showing a link between SSRI antidepressant drugs like Paxil and club foot in infants.

Paxil PPHN and Lung Defects

PPHN is a serious and sometimes fatal condition in which an infant’s lungs cannot adapt to breathing outside the womb.  It can also cause high blood pressure in their lungs which keeps new oxygen-rich blood from entering.

A study from the University of California at San Diego was published in 2006 showing that taking antidepressant drugs like Paxil during pregnancy could increase the risk of lung defects like PPHN by up to 600%.

Paxil Neural Tube Defects

Neural tube defects like anencephaly and spina bifida are severe Paxil birth defects that occur when the brain and spine do not fully develop. These conditions can cause permanent brain damage, paralysis or even early infant death.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in 2007 indicating SSRI drugs like Paxil could be linked to neural tube defects when taken during pregnancy.

Paxil Cranial Birth Defects

Craniosynostosis is a cranial defect that occurs when the individual bones of the skull fuse too early during development, causing an irregularly shaped or larger than normal head.

Both the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants and New England Journal of Medicine published studies in 2007 that linked SSRI drugs like Paxil to cranial defects.

Paxil Abdominal Defects

Omphalocele is a severe birth defect where the fetus’ intestines and liver grow in a sac outside of the abdomen.  This is caused by the late or incomplete development of the abdominal muscles.

The New England Journal of Medicine and National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants also published research in 2007 showing that taking SSRI drugs like Paxil during pregnancy could increase the risk of omphalocele.

If your child was born with any birth defects after taking Paxil, contact us today for a confidential evaluation of your case. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions and provide help.

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