Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

The first warning Faith Gibson had that the hole in her 3 ½-year-old daughter’s heart was caused by the anti-anxiety drug that she thought was safe to take during pregnancy, was when she read a newspaper story about another little girl born with the same birth defect. That mother was suing drug maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for failing to warn her of the risk of heart defects in newborns when taking Paxil during pregnancy. It was the same medication Gibson had taking since 2002 and during her pregnancy.

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Five more suits have been filed in Pennsylvania against the makers of the antidepressant Paxil on behalf of children who have developed severe heart problems.

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Washington, DC — The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of depression during pregnancy should be individualized based on their respective risks and benefits, according to a new Committee Opinion issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice. The Committee also advised that a particular SSRI medication known as paroxetine (Paxil®) be avoided, when possible, by pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant due to the potential risk of fetal heart defects, newborn persistent pulmonary hypertension, and other negative effects.

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A group representing America’s obstetricians is recommending that women avoid the antidepressant Paxil if they are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, due to a potential heightened risk for birth defects.

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The parents of 2-year-old Eric Jackson have filed the first lawsuit claiming that use of the antidepressant Paxil during pregnancy caused birth defects in their won.

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Some blood pressure drugs previously thought to be safe when taken early in pregnancy now appear to substantially raise the risk of major birth defects, doctors say.

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The parents of a two-year old boy have filed a lawsuit against the maker of Paxil, alleging that the mother’s use of the antidepressant during pregnancy cause her son to be born with severe heart defects.

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Decisions about how to treat depression in pregnant women are increasingly complex. Patients and physicians must carefully consider and discuss together the potential benefits and risks of treatment with antidepressants during pregnancy. Two new studies provide important information to be considered in making such decisions. The studies included women who had been treated with antidepressant drugs that act as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or, in a few cases, other antidepressants. SSRI medications are the most commonly used drugs to treat depression in the U.S.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that early research studies with the drug Paxil (paroxetine) suggest that taking the drug during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of having a baby with birth defects, particularly heart defects.

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The Food and Drug Administration today is alerting health care professionals and patients about early results of new studies for Paxil (paroxetine) suggesting that the drug increases the risk for birth defects, particularly heart defects, when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy.  Paxil is approved for the treatment of depression and several other psychiatric disorders.  FDA is currently gathering additional data and waiting for the final results of the recent studies in order to better understand the higher risk for birth defects that has been seen with Paxil. 

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