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A group of parents have filed a lawsuit against the makers of Zoloft alleging the antidepressant caused their children severe birth defects. The lawsuit was filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Pfizer Inc.
Using antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, during pregnancy can increase the risk of various birth defects, whether the drugs are used early or late in pregnancy, according to two studies published in the past six months.
The risk of a fetus developing a rare but life threatening lung defect is relatively low. But if a mother takes a common class of antidepressant medication late in her pregnancy, the risk for her baby to develop the condition doubles, according to a Swedish study.
More babies are born with birth defects in England and Wales than previously thought, according to a recent study from Queen Mary, University of London. At least 14,500 babies were born in 2009 with defects such as congenital heart disease, spina bifida and gastroschisis. That represents more than 2 percent of births, up from previous estimates of 1.3 percent. The data comes from five regional birth defect registries as well as two additional registries specific to particular conditions.
New studies suggest use of antidepressants during pregnancy may contribute to an increased risk of heart defects in newborns, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is too soon to issue any specific warnings about that risk.
If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, check your medications, says March of Dimes’ deputy medical director Diane M. Ashton, MD, in a recent article in The Safety Report. Some prescription drugs can cause a host of problems for both the developing fetus and the mother, including miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even material death.
More evidence supports the theory that exposure to a class of antidepressants during the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk for major congenital anomalies, particularly cardiac defects. A Finnish study conducted by the Teratology Information Service at the Helsinki University Central Hospital confirms the results of other research showing increased risks for specific birth defects in fetuses exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, during gestation.
Patients who take a blood thinning agent, such as aspirin, after suffering a heart attack who also take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are at increased risk for bleeding, according to a Canadian study. Both types of drugs have been associated with an increased risk of bleeding, but the new analysis shows that when the drugs are combined, patients increase their risk by 40 percent or more.
Did drug company Pfizer cover up evidence that its antidepressant Zoloft causes birth defects? Susan and James Hodge think so. Susan took Zoloft during her pregnancy and then delivered a baby who died 18 hours after birth from anencephaly, a neural tube birth defect in which a large portion of the brain is missing. The Hodges are suing Pfizer claiming the world’s largest drug company covered up studies that documented the drug was associated with the fatal side effect.
Weighing the risks and benefits of using antidepressants during pregnancy is a tough decision. For Taylor Harris, a freelance writer, she knew since she started on Paxil as a young college graduate that she would have to wean off the drug before getting pregnant. Her doctor said simply, “You won’t be able to take Paxil during your pregnancy. But don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll have something else by then.”
