› $150,000,000 verdict in personal injury case
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.
One in five adults in the United States suffered from mental illness last year, and women were far more likely than men to have been diagnosed with mental, behavioral or emotional disorders, according to a newly released government 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.
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.
When pharmaceutical companies receive reports that suggest a medication may cause birth defects, they should immediately inform the public. However, too often companies are swayed by rising profits and the fear of bad press and may withhold or cover up this information to protect themselves. It is the public that stands to suffer.
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.”
Pregnant women carry a huge responsibility. Everything thing they do or ingest could potentially affect their unborn child. But when the mother is experiencing health problems that can be treated by medication, she has only to go by the advice of her doctor and the information provided by the drug company that makes the medication.
Pregnant women who take certain types of antidepressants are at greater risk for preterm delivery or other birth complications, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The findings add more fuel to the argument that antidepressants not be prescribed to pregnant women and women of childbearing age unless absolutely necessary.
“Has anyone had a healthy baby who took antidepressants while pregnant?”
It was the question posed recently on BabyCenter.com, a website resource for expectant mothers, new mothers, and women hoping to become pregnant in the near future. The question sparked numerous responses from women who were faced with making that decision. Some women commented that they needed the medication because they struggled with severe depression and anxiety. But they still worry about the effects the drug may have on their unborn babies.
GlaxoSmithKline has awarded millions of dollars in compensation to women who took the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) while pregnant and delivered babies with serious birth defects.
