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Loading ...Zoloft and Birth Defects
Zoloft is an antidepressant medication which is classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). While the drug has proven to be popular for treatment of depression with roughly 30 million prescriptions written each year, scientific studies have revealed that if Zoloft is taken during pregnancy, it can cause several different types of developmental birth defects.
Although any birth defect in a newborn may give rise to a Zoloft claim, the following types of developmental defects have been linked to Zoloft in published medical studies: persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), hypoplastic heart syndrome (left or right), transposition of the great arteries, atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), pulmonary stenosis, and tetralogy of fallot.
As a result of these studies, the FDA issued a public health advisory on July 19, 2006. In this advisory, the FDA summarized the results of one of the early birth defect studies, in which the link between Zoloft and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn was discovered. That study indicated that the risk of PPHN was six times greater for babies whose mothers took Zoloft after the 20th week of their pregnancy.
As any parent can imagine, the prospect of a birth defect in a newborn child is a devastating event. Families faced with this tragedy not only want compensation as a means of punishing the drug manufacturer; they may also need compensation to pay for critical medical care for the affected child. In some instances, obtaining that compensation may be a matter of life and death. Powers Taylor LLP understands the importance of a Zoloft claim to the affected family, and we will work with you to make sure all of your child’s needs are met.
