If you believe that your child suffered a birth injury because you were prescribed Paxil or Zoloft, you may be entitled to compensation.

Birth Injuries Resulting from Paxil and Zoloft

Paxil and Zoloft are antidepressants that are commonly prescribed. While they can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, they can also be dangerous for women who are pregnant.

The chemicals contained in these prescription drugs can be toxic to developing babies. Therefore, doctors and pharmacists should ensure that mothers-to-be are warned of the potential dangers. 

One of the potential birth injuries that can occur is persistent pulmonary hypertension. With this condition, vital organs are without adequate oxygen due to abnormalities in the blood flow. 

Left untreated, it could result in the infant’s death. Even so, the complications from this can be life-threatening.

Other birth injuries involving Paxil and Zoloft include:

•    anal atresia (partial or complete closure of anus);

•    heart defects;

•    club feet; 

•    craniosynostosis (skull is abnormally shaped);

•    holes in the heart wall; 

•    brain/spinal cord defects; and

•    lung defects.

Warnings Concerning the Use of Paxil and Zoloft

In 2005, the manufacturer of these antidepressants, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), sent letters warning healthcare professionals of the potential dangers for pregnant women. A couple of months later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also issued a warning to the public concerning possible birth defects.

In 2006, the FDA then issued a warning concerning the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension for those taking a number of antidepressants, including Paxil and Zoloft. Litigation against the manufacturer has resulted from claims that the manufacturer knew of the birth injury risks long before they made them known.

They have also been accused of not warning the public about the potential side effects. If you believe that a birth injury was the result of negligence on behalf of the manufacturer, you may be entitled to pursue a claim against them.

Liability may also be found with a doctor, if they knew of the risks when they prescribed one of these antidepressants yet failed to tell you. Or, if a pharmacist was negligent in some manner and it led to a birth injury, they could be held liable as well.

Contact a Cleveland Birth Injury Attorney

The best way to learn what your legal options are is to consult with a Cleveland birth injury attorney. They can help determine if you have a legitimate claim and who may potentially be held liable.

In addition, an attorney can help establish the damages you are seeking and assist in assembling the evidence that will be necessary for your case. Pursuing a birth injury claim can be a complicated, drawn out process. You don’t have to go through it alone.