Prozac has been linked to serious side effects, including violent behavior, suicidal thoughts or actions, and an increased risk of birth defects if the drug is taken during pregnancy. If you or a loved one dealt with any of these side effects, you may have grounds for a Prozac lawsuit. A Cincinnati Prozac lawyer could help you recover compensation for all medical expenses caused by the drug's side effects, along with lost wages and pain and suffering. O'Connor, Acciani & Levy's dedicated SSRI attorneys know how to build a defective drug case and aggressively pursue all of the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free, no obligation legal consultation today. We will not charge legal fees unless you receive compensation.
BIRTH DEFECTS FROM PROZAC
The antidepressant Prozac has been on the market since 1987 when it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This medication is known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). These types of drugs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, and they work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin, which increases serotonin levels in the brain. While Prozac and other SSRIs can cause side effects like dry mouth, drowsiness and agitation, they have also been linked to severe birth defects when taken by pregnant mothers, including:- Persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) – Hypertension is another way of saying high blood pressure. This can be life-threatening for a newborn because it decreases the body's supply of oxygen.
- Anencephaly – This is a birth defect that causes a baby to be born missing parts of his or her brain or skull.
- Isolated ventricular septal defects – This occurs when there is a hole in the wall the separates the two chambers in the heart. This can cause high pressure in the heart and reduce the body's supply of oxygen.
- Obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract – This is when there is a blockage of the right ventricular outflow tract, which could lower the body's oxygen supply.
- Pulmonary stenosis – This is a blockage of blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. This is the result of a narrowing of the right ventricle.
- Transposition of the great arteries – This occurs when the aorta is connected to the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is connected to the left ventricle. This is the opposite of the way the heart is supposed to work.
- Tetralogy of Fallot – This is a combination of four heart defects affecting the structure of the heart and reducing the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
- Omphalocele – This occurs when the baby's intestines or other organs are outside of the body because of a hole in the belly button.
- Craniosynostosis – This is when two or more bones in the skull fuse together before they are supposed to. This changes the growth pattern in the skull.
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome – This is when the left side of the heart does not form correctly.
RESEARCH ON BIRTH DEFECTS FROM SSRIS
Research has consistently shown a link between Prozac and other SSRIs and severe birth defects in children from mothers who took these medications during their pregnancies. In February 2006, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a study about the risk of PPHN in newborns if their mothers took SSRIs during pregnancy. Researchers discovered a six-fold increase in PPHN among babies whose mothers took an SSRI after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In June 2007, the same journal published another study about the risk of birth defects when mothers took SSRIs like Prozac during their pregnancies. Researchers found a statistically significant association between the use of SSRIs and birth defects like anencephaly, craniosynostosis and omphalocele. In 2008, Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Safety published a study analyzing previously published research on the association between SSRI use and PPHN. Researchers analyzed data on babies born in Sweden from 1997 to 2005. They found the risk of PPHN was lower than previously described in the literature, but they concluded there was an increased risk of respiratory problems after SSRI use during pregnancy and PPHN could be a rare issue associated with these respiratory problems. The British Medical Journal published a study in 2009 showing an increase in septal heart defects among children born from mothers who took SSRI drugs early in their pregnancies. Another study from 2011 revealed Prozac was associated with an increased risk of isolated ventricular septal defects. Although the risk of this defect is small, researchers said doctors should not consider Prozac as the first option when prescribing an SSRI to a pregnant woman. This study was published in Obstetrics and Gynecology in July 2011. In January 2017, the British Medical Journal published a study from the Universite do Montreal saying antidepressants could increase the risk of various types of birth defects, including:- Cardiac issues
- Craniofacial problems
- Digestive defects
- Respiratory defects
