SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Lawsuits, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawsuits, and Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil Lawsuits

SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Lawsuits, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawsuits,  and Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil Lawsuits

Women that have taken SSRI antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil during pregnancy may be at a increased risk of their children having birth defects and health problems.  Recent studies have been linked SSRI Antidepressants to birth defects and other health problems in babies including persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) or developing a lung disorder, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).  In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, women who took antidepressants in the third trimester delivered babies who were six times more likely to have persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) or developing a lung disorder, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) than babies not exposed to SSRIs.

If you or a loved one is taking a SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy or have had a child with primary pulmonary hypertension or other birth defects, it is important to seek medical assistance and advice.  If you have questions about a potential SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit, feel free to e-mail any questions you might have to toxicdose@texaslawyers.com.

SSRI Birth Defects, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension of a Newborn, and other Potential Health Problems

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is a disorder of the lungs in which the arteries are severely restricted, causing the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery of the heart to rise to excessive levels. Blood flow is restricted and oxygen levels in the blood are suppressed.

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is a rare disease in the statistical sense, in that there are between one and two cases of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) per million residents of the United States, which results in 300 new cases per year. However, recent studies show that Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) may be more prevalent than once thought as many cases have gone undiagnosed and the number of cases appear to be on the rise.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) starts while the baby is in the womb.  It is thought that the SSRI antidepressants effect the baby's natural development.  During pregnancy circulation is handled by the placenta and does not go through the lungs, but after birth, the baby's circulation switches over from the ductus arteriosus (which now closes) to the lungs.  However, in a baby born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN), the ductus arteriosus stays open and the baby's blood flow continues to bypass the lungs. Because the blood does not enter the lungs, it returns to the heart very low in oxygen causing serious health problems.  The baby's organs, such as the brain, kidneys and liver quickly become stressed due to lack of oxygen. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) is usually diagnosed within 12 hours of delivery.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a cardiopulmonary disorder characterized by systemic arterial hypoxemia secondary to elevated pulmonary vascular resistance with resultant shunting of pulmonary blood flow to the systemic circulation. This pathophysiologic syndrome has been variously described as: Persistent pulmonary vascular obstruction, Persistent fetal circulation, Pulmonary vasospasm, Neonatal pulmonary ischemia, Persistent transitional circulation.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is the result of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance to the point that venous blood is diverted to some degree through fetal channels (i. e. the ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale) into the systemic circulation and bypassing the lungs, resulting in systemic arterial hypoxemia.

This disorder can be classified into three forms dependent on the likely etiology of the pulmonary hypertension: PPHN associated with pulmonary parenchymal disease, such as hyaline membrane disease, meconium aspiration, or transient tachypnea of the newborn as the cause of alveolar hypoxia known as secondary PPHN or appropriate PPHN  alveolar oxygen tension appears to be the major determinant of pulmonary artery vasoconstriction. PPHN with radiographically normal lungs and no evidence of parenchymal disease frequently called Persistent Fetal Circulation (PFC), or primary or inappropriate PPHN. PPHN associated with hypoplasia of the lungs most often in the form of diaphragmatic hernia associated with an anatomic reduction in capillary number in addition to the pathophysiology listed below.

FDA Information on SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defects, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension of a Newborn, and other Potential Health Problems

A recent study on women who had been treated with antidepressant drugs that act as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) showed risks of SSRI medications during pregnancy. This study focused on newborn babies with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), which is a serious and life-threatening lung condition that occurs soon after birth of the newborn. Babies with PPHN have high pressure in their lung blood vessels and are not able to get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. About 1 to 2 babies per 1000 babies born in the U.S. develop PPHN shortly after birth, and often they need intensive medical care. In this study PPHN was six times more common in babies whose mothers took an SSRI antidepressant after the 20th week of the pregnancy compared to babies whose mothers did not take an antidepressant. The study, by Christina Chambers and others, was published on February 9, 2006 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The finding of PPHN in babies of mothers who used a SSRI antidepressant in the second half of pregnancy adds to concerns coming from previous reports that infants of mothers taking SSRIs late in pregnancy may experience difficulties such as irritability, difficulty feeding and in very rare cases, difficulty breathing. In addition, the labeling for paroxetine (Paxil) was recently changed to add information about findings in an epidemiology study suggesting that exposure to the drug in the first trimester of pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of cardiac birth defects (see FDA Public Health Advisory for Paxil dated December 8, 2005).

Women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant should not stop any antidepressant without first consulting their physician. The decision to continue medication or not should be made only after there has been careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks of the medication for each individual pregnant patient. If the decision is made to stop treatment with SSRIs before or during pregnancy, this should be done with a healthcare professional, according to the prescribing information for the drug, and patients should be observed closely in case their depression comes back.

SSRI Birth Defect Lawyers, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Lawyers, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawyers,  and Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil Lawyers

Texas Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Attorney Jason Coomer commonly works with other SSRI Birth Defect lawyers throughout Texas and the United States including Houston Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawyers, Boston SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawyers, San Antonio Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawyers, Dallas Defective Medication Lawyers, and other Austin Dangerous Drug Attorneys.  By sharing information and working together, his law firm and other firms throughout Texas and the United States are able to provide better representation for there clients.  

If you or a loved one is taking a SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy or took Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, or another SSRI antidepressant drug during pregnancy and have had a child with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN), or other birth defects, it is important to seek medical assistance and advice.  If you have questions about a potential SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit, feel free to e-mail any questions you might have to toxicdose@texaslawyers.com.