Zoloft Lawyers Grapple With Zoloft Birth Defects Lawsuits

The Food and Drug Administration warned Zoloft patients as early as 2005 that they should avoid taking SSRI drugs such as Zoloft during the first trimester—or three months—of pregnancy because of the possibility of heart-related birth defects. Ventricle septal defects and atrial septal defects are the issues most commonly reported with Zoloft lawsuit heart-related birth defects, and occur when holes develop in the heart, which can lead to open-heart surgery and even death. The New England Journal of Medicine’s revelation caused a major upswing of Zoloft birth defect lawsuit from mothers and families whose babies had been born with side effects.

Zoloft is an SSRI drug, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which is an antidepressant that works by blocking the reuptake of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps a person feel happier and this method can help maintain feelings of happiness and diminish mood swings and anxiety. There are Zoloft drug recall lawsuit because of the severe side effects that it has been associated with, including birth defects and depression.

Until recently, Zoloft was considered relatively safe to take later in pregnancy. However, in 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that indicated that women who take Zoloft after the 20^th week of pregnancy are 20 times more likely to give birth to a baby with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn than a woman who was not taking an SSRI after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This revelation caused the Food and Drug Administration to issue another Zoloft warning directed at pregnant women, emphasizing the connection between Zoloft and birth defects.

Zoloft is a widely prescribed treatment for a number of common psychological conditions, including obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and general anxiety disorder. The link between Zoloft and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn was never listed on medication labels at this point, and families could not have been warned of the possible risk.

Parents of babies who have been born with suspected Zoloft side effects should consult a personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible in order to prevent being blocked by the statute of limitations in their state before being able to file a lawsuit.