Zoloft Birth Defects and Lawsuits Closely Linked

A significant number of women who took Zoloft while pregnant, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, have experienced the trauma and hardship of giving birth to a child with often-serious Zoloft birth defects. Zoloft is one of the most popular anti-depressant medications on the market in many countries today, and is an SSRI, meaning that it works by blocking the reuptake of the feel-good chemical serotonin in the brain, helping patients with conditions like depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and many other conditions manage and regulate their symptoms. However, although Zoloft has benefited many people with some of the most common psychological conditions in the world, it also comes with a wide variety of often serious Zoloft side effects.

Because of the severity of many of the side effects—which, besides birth defects, also include increased rates of suicide (especially in children, teenagers, and young adults) and heart problems that can sometimes be fatal—many patients are considering filing Zoloft lawsuits against the manufacturer of the drug, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer. Pfizer is one of the largest pharmaceuticals manufacturing companies in the country. Many of the people who have experienced Zoloft side effects have also experienced some of the financial burdens that come along with experiencing significant side effects. Medical bills, lost wages, and a diminished quality of life all have a serious impact on a patient’s life.

Birth defects have been reported on by the Food and Drug Administration as a potential side effect of the popular antidepressant medication. In 2006 the FDA warned that all SSRIs, like Zoloft, could come with an increased risk of birth defects, including potentially fatal conditions such as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. In the two years following, SSRIs were also linked to heart defects, both in patients and in the children of Zoloft patients. Animal studies of the drug have been linked to an increased risk of harm to the fetus.

Patients with questions about Zoloft side effects and the legal action they can take should talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer, who can answer any questions a potential plaintiff may have.