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A Tennessee Effexor birth defect lawsuit filed last year claimed that the antidepressant is defective and could cause persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), a fatal disorder that impairs the functioning of lungs in newborns. PPHN is the one of the most significant adverse events associated with Effexor along with heart and brain malformations. The defect prevents blood-oxygen circulation as the lungs fail to function soon after the birth and it may lead to acute life-threatening respiratory distress.
Tennessee Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit
The unwary mother continued taking the Effexor antidepressant during her pregnancy, as there was no information from the manufacturer citing potential risk of birth defect in her would-be son. However, the mother’s efforts to secure the child from her adverse emotional state during pregnancy did not bear any fruit. It, rather, endangered his life.
The boy was born with an acute respiratory problem and could not breathe, as his lungs did not function properly, claims the Effexor birth defect lawyer representing the Tennessee couple. Doctors put him on a ventilator for weeks and even carried out a few neonatal intensive care procedures. Though they succeeded in rescuing the child, lack of blood-oxygen supply partially damaged his brain and other organs causing medical conditions that would require life-long treatment and support.
The Tennessee Effexor birth defect lawsuit blames the failure of the manufacturers for “the near-fatal condition, suffering, disability, impairment of working ability, and need for constant medical care” of the child and “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, financial losses, and suffering” of the parents.
What is PPHN?
PPHN is a severe respiratory distress that can be life-threatening if continues for a few minutes. During the prenatal phase, the child receives oxygen through the neural tube. However, the lungs take over the duty of oxygen supply soon after the child is born. Effexor may cause certain side effects during pregnancy that impair this ability of lungs. Acute respiratory distress impacts the flow of blood oxygen through pulmonary arteries. This increases the blood pressure to such a level that vital organs can be damaged in the absence of adequate blood oxygen.
Newborns with PPHN exhibit signs, such as
- Acute breathing disorder
- Increased heart rate
- Respiratory syndromes
- Blood circulation failure
- Seizures and consequent heart and kidney problems
A number of Effexor birth defect lawsuits filed in the recent years claim PPHN-related injury or wrongful death attributed to prenatal Effexor side effects. The New England Journal of Medicine published a report in 2006 associating the antidepressant pregnancy side effects to PPHN. It warned of six-time higher risk in such a condition, if the drug is ingested “on or after 20th week of pregnancy.”
Other Serious Effexor Birth Defects
- Neural-tube defects
- Hypoplastic heart
- Heart valve defects
- Skull and cranial deformities
- Abdominal wall defect
- Anus deformities
A 2013 report claimed that ingesting Effexor during pregnancy doubles the risk of birth defects in children. Published in the British Medical Journal, the findings were based on the analysis of over 100,000 case studies.
Effexor birth defect lawyers across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and other states are evaluating potential litigation claims of mothers against Pfizer and Wyeth. These product allegations range from physical defects to underdeveloped internal organs, autism, wrongful deaths, and serious medical conditions blamed on the failure of manufacturers to warn about such adverse events.
To know about the process of filing and pursuing a birth defect lawsuit demanding financial and non-financial damages, please call on 1-800-632-1404 or contact our team of Effexor birth defect attorneys in Tennessee.
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