Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: Disclosures Show Pfizer Aware of Side Effects

Reports suggest Pfizer was aware of Zoloft birth defect side effects from an internal assessment, but never accepted it publicly or warned consumers. The management of the antidepressant manufacturer was communicated by one of its drug-safety officials last year over internal findings linking Zoloft to pregnancy-linked newborn deformities. The failure to act on the report and continued denial of any birth defect risk linked to its antidepressant may complicate matters for Pfizer in its defense against over 1,000 Zoloft birth defect lawsuit filings around the country.

In April 2014, a top official of Pfizer’s Worldwide Safety Strategy division, Francesca Kolitsopoulous, proposed label modifications for Zoloft to include warning about potential birth defects following its use during pregnancy. While reviewing research reports, she discovered potential association between the prenatal exposure to the antidepressant and heart, abdominal, intestine, and other deformities in newborns.

Disclosures Dig Dip, Cites 1998 Report

A Zoloft birth defect lawsuit filed in a Philadelphia court a few weeks ago was the first to highlight the revelation to support its claim for $2.4 million in financial damages. The Zoloft lawyer representing the plaintiff has cited “hole in heart, growth retardation, persistent pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disorders, and omphalocele or protrusion of liver and intestines” among newborn abnormalities linked to the antidepressant in an internal report of Pfizer.

The report dates back to 1998 and was prepared based on review of 50 pregnancy-linked Zoloft birth defect reports by the manufacturer. Pfizer safety monitors reportedly admitted that the antidepressant use by pregnant woman “couldn’t be ruled out as a cause” of congenital defects in babies born to them. They found Zoloft pregnancy side effects as strongly related to newborn abnormalities in at least 16 cases and possibly related in another 25 cases.

Though Pfizer has dismissed the revelation as “cherry-picked data,” the disclosure makes it difficult for the company to reject claims of suppression of information on potential side effect risks.

The incident reminds many Zoloft lawyers about Paxil birth defect lawsuits. GlaxoSmithKline denied allegations of birth defect linked to use of Paxil antidepressant by pregnant mothers until it was investigated by the public authorities following similar disclosures. Glaxo paid $3 billion to the government and $1 billion to 800 plaintiffs to settle claims related to its antidepressant.

Zoloft Birth Defects

Zoloft ranks among the most prescribed antidepressants. However, the drug is named in over 1,000 Zoloft birth defect lawsuit filings that allege the drug caused birth defects in newborns when used by pregnant women. Many research studies have also warned of both fatal and non-fatal injuries in children exposed to the antidepressant at the prenatal stage.

According to researchers from Havard, Zoloft has the potential to result in “two-fold risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” in babies when mothers are treated with the antidepressant during pregnancy.
Chiari type 1 brain malformation are likely to develop in babies due to Zoloft pregnancy side effects, claims Neuropsychopharmacology journal.
Children are likely to born with vertebra and brain abnormalities following Zoloft ingestion by mothers, say reports in Human Reproduction and New England Journal of Medicine.
Autism risk associated with Zoloft birth defects, a fact affirmed by researchersat Johns Hopkins University.
The FDA has warned of persistent pulmonary hypertension in babies linked to antidepressant use by expectant mothers.
Various studies highlight heart defects, developmental delays, and physical deformities.

If you have a claim involving Zoloft birth defect in children, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free evaluation of your potential lawsuit.

November 3, 2015

Heart Defect Label Warning on the Horizon as Zoloft Birth Injury Lawsuit Increase

As Zoloft birth injury lawsuits mount, news reports cite a communication from the FDA to drug manufacturer Pfizer seeking to include the risk of infant heart defects in label warning. Many mothers on behalf of their children have filed a Zoloft birth injury lawsuit claiming serious and fatal heart defects filed across the United States. Plaintiffs claim that they and their innocent children turned victims of the drug side effect in the absence of any pregnancy-linked adverse event warning. Recent court submission by a Zoloft attorney highlights Pfizer was aware of birth injury side effects as early as 1998, but never made it public.

As reported by Bloomberg News, the FDA asked Pfizer in August 2015 to modify safety warnings and add information to Zoloft label warning that “some researchers have discovered risk of congenital cardiac problems in children born to women treated with the antidepressant during pregnancy. The present label talks about “absence of adequate and well-controlled studies involving pregnant women.” The FDA stepped in after a Zoloft birth injury lawsuit quoted some internal memos (between 1998 and 2014) citing how the manufacturer’s staff scientists periodically warned about the potential link between heart defects in newborns and pregnancy side effects of the drug.

The changes to the rules governing pregnancy and lactation labeling information incorporated in 2014 empowers the FDA to request for necessary label changes in the view of perceived health risks for pregnant women. Pfizer sources have confirmed that the FDA request is under consideration. Though the manufacturer still claims that “there is no reliable scientific evidence linking Zoloft and birth defects,” the FDA request underlines what many consumer groups, research reports, and plaintiffs have been highlighting so far.

Internal Memos Cite Heart Defect Birth Injury Risk from Zoloft; Leads to Zoloft Birth Injury Lawsuit

A few weeks ago, a Zoloft attorney representing a $2.4 million claim in a Philadelphia court submitted some portions of a Pfizer internal memo that warns about the possibility of “hole in heart, persistent pulmonary hypertension, and congenital heart disorders” in children born to women ingesting the drug while pregnant. It was taken from a 1998 report prepared by researchers employed by the manufacturer. The report studied 50 Zoloft pregnancy adverse events to conclude that the drug side effects “could not be ruled out” for causing birth injuries, the Zoloft lawyer claims.

Another internal report prepared by Pfizer’s associate director for epidemiology at Worldwide Safety Strategy department and dating back to April 2014 also hinted at Zoloft heart defects in infants. Primarily a review report, it talks about birth deformities impacting heart and other vital organs due to prenatal expose to the antidepressant.

For long, Pfizer is rejecting charges of association between Zoloft antidepressant and birth injury in infants, including heart defects. There are over 1,000 Zoloft lawsuits and more than a dozen research reports claiming various types of congenital birth defects in babies born to mother taking the drug during pregnancy. These documents are support for injured children in a Zoloft birth injury lawsuit.

Zoloft Heart Defects

Research studies and litigant claims associate Zoloft pregnancy side effects to congenital heart defects in new born, including

persistent pulmonary hypertension
non-fatal pulmonary hypertension
plumonary atresia
hypoplastic heart
pulmonary stenosis
heart valve defects
arota compression
opening between right and left atria
fallot tetralogy
arterial defects

Zoloft Birth Injury Lawsuit Updates

The latest FDA suggestion for label changes is viewed as existence of credible link between Zoloft and heart defects in newborns. It could be a potential boost to hundreds of such claims in the court and induce a jury to rule that Pfizer is guilty of hiding safety data to further commercial gains. The manufacturer was successful in defending two Zoloft lawsuits in St. Louis and Philadelphia earlier this year well before the FDA suggestions came into the fore. However, the first federal bellwether trial for a Zoloft birth injury lawsuit is expected in January 2016. I would expect that trial to be influenced by the news.

If you have a claim involving Zoloft birth defect in children, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free evaluation of your potential lawsuit.

July 13, 2015

Multiple Research Studies Focus on Zoloft Birth Defects

Major Zoloft Birth Defects

Pfizer has over $2 billion in annual income from Zoloft, one of the most used antidepressant in the United States. However, research studies published in the recent years highlighted a number of birth injury risks associated with it.

A 2012 report in the Human Reproduction journal warned of vertebra and brain deformities in children born to mothers treated with Zoloft when pregnant. This was supported by reports in Neuropsychopharmacology (Chiari type 1 brain malformation, May 2014) and the New England Journal of Medicine (anencephaly, 2007). Zoloft birth defects in a baby may also include developmental delays, fatal lung problem, brain malformations, clubfoot, and heart defects.

A Havard research report claims that Zoloft birth defect in a baby may lead to “two-fold risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” The drug prescribed to save yet-to-born children from psychological illness of pregnant mothers may result in autism, preterm birth-linked problems, and other birth anomalies when they are born.

The reason for Zoloft birth defect in a baby is traced to ability of the serotonin-inhibitor drug to blind “cell-signaling molecule of a pregnant woman” that impacts physical and mental development of children at the prenatal stage. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Zoloft ingestion during pregnancy hikes autism risk in newborns by three times.

While disfigurement is the most common non-fatal Zoloft birth defect in a baby, the antidepressant may lead to fatal persistent pulmonary hypertension and hypoplastic heart syndrome, which impact oxygen circulation in the body. Cranial defects, including undeveloped vertebra and neural tube, also threaten lives of newborns.

Zoloft Birth Defects Claims Mirror Paxil Lawsuits

Zoloft birth defect lawsuits against Pfizer emulate more than 800 similar claims made against GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil antidepressant. Similar to the New York-based Pfizer, the London-headquartered Glaxo refuted allegation of defective drug and negligence in warning consumers about potential side effects. However, it relented in the face stiff opposition from consumer groups and legal setbacks over “failure to properly report safety data to regulators.” The manufacturer paid over $3 billion to settle all criminal and civil proceedings pertaining to the allegations.

Interestingly, both Zoloft and Paxil belong to the same class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Paxil was introduced in 1992, a year after Zoloft was approved. Both drugs were prescribed to treat major depressive disorders and have been linked to identical side effects. In fact, there were many research reports that evaluated both drugs together to review effect of SSRI-class antidepressants when prescribed to pregnant women and attested a number of fatal and non-fatal side effects as common to two medications.

If we can help call us today at (800) 632-1404.

July 13, 2015

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit Claims Pfizer Knew Pregnancy Risks, But Ignored Side Effects

A lawsuit filed over a Zoloft birth defect in a baby claims that manufacturer Pfizer was aware of the pregnancy-linked side effects of the antidepressant but ignored warnings for commercial gains. According to the evidence presented by a Zoloft lawyer representing the plaintiff, parents of a 11-yer-old boy with heart defects, internal researches apprised the manufacturer of congenital anomalies associated with the drug ingestion by pregnant women. Over 1,000 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits filed across the US legal system unanimous in their claim that Pfizer did not warn consumers or doctors about potential dangers of antidepressant ingestion during pregnancy.

The Zoloft lawyer has presented an excerpt from a May 2014 report prepared by Pfizer researchers. It warns “that newborns of women taking the mood-altering drug were at risk of suffering congenital anomalies.” A Texas doctor testified about the Pfizer internal report suggesting evidence “that Zoloft was clearly a risk factor for birth defects, especially heart defects.”

The internal report submitted to Pfizer hinted at the possibility of heart defects, including atrial septal defect or a hole in the heart, in newborns. It also warned of growth retardation, persistent pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disorders, and omphalocele or protrusion of liver and intestines, among possible Zoloft birth defects in a baby exposed to Zoloft prior to birth.

The Zoloft lawsuit demands strict product liability against Pfizer for hiding safety information to gain quick market share and increase commercial earnings.

Do I Have A Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit?

While research reports and Zoloft lawsuits continue to highlight antidepressant side effects, it is no more hidden that Pfizer aggressively marketed the drug without disclosing about its potential side effects. A study by the Tennessee Medicaid reveals that newborns face “five-fold rise in the risk of life-threatening health problems” due to the pregnancy side effects of the drug.

If you have a claim involving Zoloft birth defect in baby, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free evaluation of your potential lawsuit. Our Zoloft lawyer offers to guide you and fight your drug injury litigation for economic and non-economic damages on contingency fee basis.

March 4, 2015

Tennessee Xarelto, Effexor, Testosterone and Zoloft Injuries

The following are the most talked about defective drug lawsuits that dominated medical litigations scenario in 2014 and continue to be in the news in 2015. If you are a Tennessee resident (or from another state), please contact us to see if we can help.

Xarleto Lawsuit

Will Xalerto lawsuit go Pradax way? The blockbuster blood thinner promoted as a safe and secure alternative has been linked to irreversible and uncontrolled internal bleeding. About 200 deaths and 680 adverse events caused by the drug between January and May 2014 make it one of the most reported medications with side effects in 2014. At least 150 patients died and another 2100 suffered injuries following the drug ingestion in 2013.

Over 30 Xalerto lawsuits are pending in the federal court system. A multidistrict litigation has been established in a Louisiana Eastern District court. The number of lawsuits may go into thousands, as Xalerto are evaluating large number of wrongful death and injury claims associated with the anticoagulant.

Over 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits filed against its maker Boehringer Ingelheim were settled in May 2014 for $650 million. In December 2014, the USMDL ordered pre-trial centralization of two dozens of Xarelto lawsuits filed in 10 different states in the court of Judge Eldon E. Fallon of Louisiana Eastern District.

Testosterone Therapy Lawsuit

In 2015, testosterone therapy lawsuit may emerge as the most talked about defective drug litigation. With millions of consumer using these supplements available in gel, patches, and pills are steadily being educated about heart attack risks and how manufacturers sell them diseases in the name of drugs.

Low-T supplements when used for lifestyle purposes have the potential to cause blood clotting, strokes, heart attack, and even death. Researchers have also linked these sex-boosting hormones to colon cancer, diabetes and metabolic problems, blockages, kidney problems, and liver disorders.

With about 300 lawsuits filed and many in the pipeline, testosterone therapy lawyers expect the litigation to grow in to thousands of Androgel lawsuits, Andrderm lawsuits, Testim lawsuits, Depo-Testosterone lawsuits, Axiron lawsuits, and Testopel lawsuits. The first Androgel lawsuit is expected to go for trial in October 2016, according to the MDL case management order by Illinois Judge Matthew Kennelly.

Zoloft Lawsuit

Zoloft lawyers were busy throughout 2014 evaluating birth defect claims linked to the drug ingestion by pregnant women. This year is expected to keep them busy with further with the steady expansion of the MDL centralized at the court of Judge Cynthia M. Rufe of Pennsylvania.

Zoloft antidepressant, according to plaintiffs and researchers, results in deformities, malformations, and life-threatening disorders in newborns, including

Fatal lung and respiratory problems
Heart defects requiring life-long surgical interventions
Brain and cranial malformations
Spine and neural tube defects
Sever neurological and physical defects

Pfizer, manufacturer of the SSRI antidepressant, has been defending over 500 Zoloft lawsuits seeking product liability for not disclosing the drug’s pregnancy-linked adverse events. Children, as young as three weeks, have undergone open heart surgeries following serious heart attacks caused by prenatal exposure to the drug.

Effexor Lawsuit

The coining of the word “ Effexor Baby” by medical professionals demonstrates how catastrophic are side effects of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants when ingested during pregnancy. The drug, one of the most prescribed drugs, has forced thousands of expectant mothers to rethink over taking antidepressants to save their baby from the impacts of their mental stress and depressive disorders.

Effexor side effects include fatal persistent pulmonary hypertension that causes just-born babies to die of sudden respiratory failure. Hypoplastic heart and other cardiovascular defects not only require surgical interventions at a tender age, but also severe compromise their quality of life. Delayed development, neurological disorders, and limb deformities are also common in such children

At least 100 Effexor lawsuits have been filed in the last six months. The litigation is expected to grow manifold and become one of the most prominent defective drug lawsuits in the coming days.

To know about the process for filing Effexor lawsuit, Zoloft lawsuit, Xalerto lawsuit, Androgel lawsuit or similar defective drug injury claims seeking product liability for drug maker’s actions and inactions, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404.

March 3, 2015

Zoloft Injury Attorney Reports Expert Witness Excluded

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Zoloft Injury Attorney Ed Wallis has reported that a federal judge has excluded an expert witness for those injured due to Zoloft, but Mr. Wallis is still accepting cases for Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Zyban birth defects.

The plaintiffs (who allege Zoloft caused birth defects in unborn children) in an MDL proceeding in Pennsylvania federal district court offered Dr. Anick Bėrard, an epidemiologist, as an expert regarding general causation. In re Zoloft, __ F.Supp.3d __, 2015 WL 314149 (E.D. Pa.). In June 2014, the court excluded Dr. Bėrard’s testimony for several reasons, “including her inattention to the principles of replication and statistical significance, her use of certain principles and methods without demonstrating either that they are recognized by her scientific community or that they should otherwise be considered scientifically valid, . . . and Dr. Bėrard’s failure to reconcile her currently expressed opinions with her prior opinions and her published, peer-reviewed research.” Id. at *1.

The plaintiffs filed a motion for reconsideration, contending the court erred by excluding “a general causation expert for drawing conclusions about causation in the absence of replicated, statistically significant associations.” Id. at *1.

The court denied the plaintiffs’ motion because the court did not hold that there is any such requirement. “Rather, the court set forth its factual findings that epidemiologists, such as Dr. Bėrard, who are examining potential teratogens generally will not draw causal conclusions in the absence of replicated statistically significant findings and application of the Bradford-Hill criteria.” Id. at *2. The Bradford-Hill criteria are well-established causation criteria used by epidemiologists.” Id. at *2.

The court considered statistical significance to be one important indicator of reliable methodology, and then assessed Dr. Bėrard’s methodology under Daubert. Id. at *2. The court concluded that Dr. Bėrard’s methodology did not satisfy Daubert and excluded her opinions.

Despite this setback for injured persons, we remain willing to discuss birth defects associated with Zoloft, Zyban, or Wellbutrin. If you or a loved one took Zoloft during pregnancy and a child was born with a birth defect, please contact us.

Contact Zoloft Lawyer for Birth Defect Lawsuit

Parents and children who have suffered from injuries, losses, and disability due to Zoloft side effects have the right to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages from the drug manufacturer. To know about the process for filing Zoloft birth defect lawsuit and pursue defective medical device product liability claims citing drug maker’s actions and inactions, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404 to talk to an experienced Zoloft lawyer.

If your child was born with a birth defect and you or a loved one took Zoloft during the first trimester or pregnancy, please contact us immediately.

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NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: An Analysis of Risk Factors

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Zoloft birth defect lawsuits filed in the recent years highlight how antidepressant pregnancy side effects have the potential to ruin a healthy start of life. Expectant mothers go to great lengths shunning food, medicine, habits, and many other things so that the fetal development does not face problems of any kind. But the failure to wean themselves from SSRI antidepressants, such as Zoloft, wrecks their efforts and enhances the risk of birth defects in babies.

About 14 percent of pregnant women in the United States are prescribed antidepressants fearing that their unstable mental condition may impact the prenatal growth of child. But are these drugs safe? Zoloft research studies published over the years challenge the common assumption that children born to depressed mothers face greater harms than the antidepressant drug adverse events. Zoloft causes both fatal and nonfatal side effects that exceed the potential impact of depression on the yet-to-born child. Every Zoloft lawyer pressing his plaintiff’s product liability lawsuit claims that Pfizer is on the wrong side for its failure to inform about the possibility of birth defects linked to the drug.

Havard Study Support Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit Claims

According to a recent Havard research report, Zoloft and popular SSRI antidepressants put the unborn child at the double “risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” The researchers also found a close link between autism in children and Zoloft pregnancy side effects while rejecting claims antidepressant saves unborn babies from harmful effects of depression mothers suffer from.

“Many psychiatrists believe that the risks of the medication are less than the risks of remaining depressed during the pregnancy; however, there has never been a study which has shown a better outcome in women who took medication,” claimed Dr. Alice D. Domar of Harvard Medical School.

Prenatal exposure to antidepressants also results in preterm birth, a cause of significant risk of health short and long-term disorders in both babies and their mothers, concluded the group comprising obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive experts. The scholars also urged pregnant women to use non-pharmacological treatments, such as counseling, physical exercise, and cognitive therapy, in place of Zoloft and SSRI antidepressants.

Research Findings Boost Filing of Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits

The publication of various research reports linking sertraline to birth defects in newborns has accelerated the filing of Zoloft birth defect lawsuits across the United States. Countering the very basic postulate on which the drug operates, researchers blamed the drug for inhibiting serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in emitting brain neuron signals. It blinds the cell-signaling molecule of a pregnant woman, which, in turn, hinders the development of heart, lungs, gut, and cranial features in babies during the prenatal stage. As result, we witness harmful results in babies born to mothers notwithstanding their better eating, sleeping, and freedom from depression assured by Zoloft.

A Johns Hopkins University research report linked the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in children to Zoloft pregnancy side effects. The study linked prenatal exposure to the drug with three-time higher risk of autism. Developmental delays, including lower language competence, in children may be due to SSRI antidepressant impact during pregnancy, claims a Norwegian study.

Zoloft birth defect lawsuits saw a surge after a series of research findings link the drug to clubfoot, heart defects, other rare congenital disorders, and the fatal lung problem. A number of reports also blame Zoloft pregnancy side effects for newborns scoring low on APGAR scale, a key indicator of their good health and well being immediately after birth.

Contact Zoloft Lawyer for Birth Defect Lawsuit

If your child was born with a birth defect and you or a loved one took Zoloft during the first trimester or pregnancy, please contact us immediately.

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October 1, 2014

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: Antidepressant Linked to Neural Tube Defects

Contact Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer for Product Liability Claims

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With over 500 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits filed and more in the pipeline, the SSRI antidepressant has become a big risk for pregnant women. Researchers, indicting Zoloft pregnancy side effects for heart, cranial, respiratory, and physical deformities in newborns, have brought to light the adverse effects of the antidepressant. Pfizer, which has gained immensely from 30 million Zoloft prescriptions in the last two decades, is facing a number of neural tube birth defect lawsuits linked to the drug.

Zoloft lawyers representing plaintiffs have claimed that newborns died or had to undergo surgical procedure immediately after their births due to the presence of neural tube birth defects, brain malformation, spina bifida, anencephaly, and similar high-risk cranial deformities.

Zoloft Lawsuit: Understanding Neural Tube Birth Defect

The neural tube is responsible for the nervous functions of a fetus during early pregnancy, and it conflates to form the brain and the spinal cord as the prenatal development succeeds. Neural tube defect is likely to occur when openings remain and the tube does not fuse properly. It can be of several types.

Spina Bifida: A type of spinal cord malformation, it refers to bone or tissue openings, such as lumps, dimple, birth mark, or skin abnormalities. There can also be hidden spina bifida occulta in newborns due to Zoloft birth injury effects.
Anencephaly: Referring to absence of major brain parts, it occurs in children born without cerebellum or frontal lobe.
Hydranencephaly: A Zoloft lawsuit filed a few months ago claims death of a baby born “with missing cerebral hemispheres of the brain.”
Tethered Cord Syndrome: It refers to unnecessary tissues attached to the spinal cord and resolution requires surgical intervention.
Encephaloceles: Brain malformations are formed and bulge out through the skull.

Zoloft Neural Tube Birth Defect Studies

In May 2014, Neuropsychopharmacology made public a research report, warning of a six-fold higher risk of “Chiari type 1 brain malformation” in children due to pregnancy side effects of Zoloft. The study, “Chiari Malformation in Children of Mothers with Depression with and without Prenatal SSRI Exposure,” traced the problem to “depressed mothers treated with antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy.” These malformations block proper formation of the spinal cord and the skull.
An American Medical Association research also warned of the significant risk of neural tube defects in babies born to mothers who have been prescribed Zoloft antidepressant.
According to an October 2012 report in Human Reproduction journal, Zoloft birth defects may result in vertebra and brain deformities.
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology quoted researchers, highlighting the high risk of seizure in newborns due to Zoloft-linked neural tube defects.
In 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine brought out study findings exposing a close association between anencephaly in newborns and Zoloft birth defects.

Zoloft Neural Tube Birth Defect Impacts

Neural tube disorders caused by Zoloft birth defects result in the death of newborns or serious permanent effects. Many a time, there is no solution to it, and parents are left to manage the disorder in their children. While the rate of fatality is high, those live longer face normal development and growth delays. Mental disabilities, nervous system problems, seizures, visual impairment, muscle weakness, and cognitive dysfunctions continue to impact the lives of such children forever.

Parents and children who have suffered from injuries, losses, and disability due to Zoloft side effects have the right to demand compensation for economic and non-economic damages from the drug manufacturer. To know about the process for filing Zoloft lawsuit and pursue defective medical device product liability claims citing drug maker’s actions and inactions, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404.

Contact a Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer Today.

If your child was born with a birth defect and you or a loved one took Zoloft during the first trimester or pregnancy, please contact us immediately.

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August 28, 2014

Zoloft Side Effects Lawsuits Rise as Court Allows Limited Birth Defect Expert Testimony

Zoloft side effects during pregnancy causes birth defects

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Reports linking Zoloft side effects to congenital birth defects have put pregnant women in a quandary over using the antidepressant to improve their mental health. They face the specter of jeopardizing the fetal health in the quest to keep it unaffected by their mental distress. Mothers-to-be inadvertently put their babies at the risk of a range of birth defects, including many fatal deformities when they take SSRI and SNRI antidepressants. More than 600 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed highlighting heart, cranial, neurological, lung, and other adverse disorders in children exposed to the antidepressant during pregnancy.

Zoloft Side Effects: Agony and Anguish of Mothers

About 13 percent of expectant mothers in the United States go for Zoloft antidepressant and similar SSRI drugs considering them safe and non-habit forming, says the American Pregnancy Association. However, research findings reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology warn that babies of these women are at five-time higher risk of having innate Zoloft birth defects.

Lauren Reed, one of the unfortunate mothers, has filed a Zoloft side effects lawsuit demanding $500,000 in damages and recovery of medical and legal costs from manufacturer Pfizer and two Illinois hospitals. She was on the antidepressant until a few weeks prior to the birth of her son, but her doctors did not ever apprise about potential side effects of Zoloft during pregnancy. The absence of any birth defect warning also misled Lauren to consider the drug as safe for expecting mothers. Zoloft side effects during pregnancy caused her son to born with severe congenital respiratory distress inhibiting oxygen circulation in the body. Lack of timely response by doctors damaged his brain rendering the new born to suffer permanent brain damage.

In 2011, a California couple filed a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit over the death of their infant son. The child was born with anencephaly or missing the cerebral hemisphere and died within 18 hours. An Ohio woman’s newborn daughter could not survive more than 24 hours and died of congenital heart and brain deformities associated with Zoloft pregnancy side effects. The child was diagnosed with a neural tube defect, missing brain parts, and pulmonary hypertension.

Zoloft Side Effects Cause Brain Birth Defects

Heart, brain, and respiratory birth defects associated with Zoloft side effects put newborns at higher rate of fatal health conditions. Cranial deformities put babies at the increasing risk of cognitive disorders and brain structural changes. A 2014 report in the Neuropsychopharmacology journal warned of six-fold rise in the risk of Chiari type 1 brain malformations in children exposed to side effects of Zoloft during the prenatal stage.

According to the US National Academy of Science, Zoloft birth defects also results in children suffering from autism and lagging in mental growth and development. Researchers have also discovered the potential threat of seizures, withdrawal syndrome, neurobehavioral syndrome, vertebra defects, and possibility of brain hemorrhage in babies born to women treated with Zoloft antidepressant while pregnant.

Zoloft Side Effects Lawsuits Continue to Mount

Over a dozen Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed by parents in the last week of July blaming the antidepressant for cardiovascular birth defects in their children. Zoloft side effects, according to the suits, led to congenital septal defects, heart malformations, atrial deformities, persistent pulmonary hypertension, hypoplastic heart, and underdeveloped heart valves in their children despite mothers following the antidepressant dosage suggested by doctors. Plaintiffs emphasize that the drug is injurious to health and Pfizer’s inactions in publishing Zoloft pregnancy side effects caused them and their children to suffer injuries and economic losses.

Penn state District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, the nodal authority for pretrial consolidation of all federal Zoloft birth defect lawsuits, have permitted restricted testimony by plaintiffs’ experts rejecting a counter motion filed by Pfizer. The experts are allowed to tell the court about the link between Zoloft side effects and birth defects, which is disputed by the manufacturer.

Contact a Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer Today.

If your child was born with a birth defect and you or a loved one took Zoloft during the first trimester or pregnancy, please contact us immediately.

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August 22, 2014

Ingestion May Lead to Zoloft Birth Defects

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As attorneys that are representing children born with birth defects after taking Paxil, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Effexor, we wanted to advise that an Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline with the client alleging Paxil caused birth defects.

Zoloft Birth Defect: Antidepressant Linked to Fatal Deformities in Newborns

Pregnant women treated with Zoloft antidepressant are likely to endanger the life of their yet-to-be-born child. Independent researchers have warned of potential risk of Zoloft birth defects in the form neonatal deformities in newborns following exposure to Sertraline, the main element in the SSRI antidepressant. The risk is as high as five times compared to those born to mothers not treated with Zoloft, according to a 2012 study reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The drug is found to cause life-threatening heart and lung disorders and other non-fatal conditions, such as autism, vertebra deformities, and disfigurements in babies that remain a life-long scare for many.

Zoloft Birth Defect: Life-Threatening Medical Conditions and Deformities

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension: The occurrence of this fatal lung disorder was first linked to Zoloft pregnancy side effects in a 2006 report published in the British Medical Journal and subsequently corroborated in a similar research study published in 2012. The Human Reproduction journal also made a similar claim in October 2012, highlighting a six-fold rise in the risk. PPHN inhibits blood circulation in the body through the lungs and thus deprives the baby of oxygen. It results in severe respiratory distress requiring intensive medical care and may lead to death.
Heart Disorder: In 2009, the British Medical Journal first claimed of heightened risk of fatal heart problems in newborns due to Zoloft use during pregnancy. The American College of Cardiology and the Human Reproduction journal released two separate reports in 2011 and 2012 strengthening the claim. Researchers listed potential risk of hypoplastic heart syndrome, underdeveloped and defective heart valves, septal and ventricle deformities in babies as side effects of the antidepressant. All these Zoloft birth defects may result in fatal conditions.
Cranial Deformities: The association between Zoloft pregnancy side effects and cranial birth defects came into light first in June 2007. Anencephaly, abnormal skull development, brain pain, cerebellum defects, spinal flow disorder, and skull malformations are reported by many as possible side effects of Zoloft use during pregnancy. A study published in Neuropsychopharmacology journal in May 2014 warned of potential Chiari type 1 brain malformations in babies because of Zoloft exposure during pregnancy.

Autism and Developmental Delays: Zoloft pregnancy side effects lead to defective development of cerebellum, which control cognitive functions of the brain. Children exposed to the drug side effects during pregnancy are, thus, likely to be born with autism or developmental delays.

Neurological Disorders: Zoloft birth defects, including skull malformation and underdeveloped brain, cause a range of neurological disorders, such as seizures, sleep problem, withdrawal symptoms, body balancing problems, and neo-behavioral syndrome.
Disfigurements: Zoloft birth defects also manifestinpremature skull ossification, neural tube deformities, vertebra malformations, cleft lip and palate, spina bifida, and defective organs.

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit

The first federal Zoloft birth defect lawsuit is expected to go to trial in January 2015. Pennsylvania District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, who heads the MDL consolidation of all Zoloft lawsuits filed in the federal judicial system, announced an order to this effect on May 1, 2014 on an appeal filed by manufacturer Pfizer to allow it more time. Over 600 Zoloft lawsuits pending in her court have sought product liability accusing Pfizer of not informing potential drug side effects when taken during pregnancy. While the wait for the bellwether trial is extended by three more months, new Zoloft lawsuits continue to be filed across the United States.

Contact a Zoloft Birth Defect Lawyer Today.

If your child was born with a birth defect and you or a loved one took Zoloft during the first trimester or pregnancy, please contact us immediately.

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