The incidences of Effexor birth defect leading to fatal and non-fatal complications in newborns has led to the coinage of a medical term “Effexor Baby.” The word denotes babies suffering from heart, lung, cranial, neurological, and physical deformities due to exposure to the SNRI antidepressant during pregnancy. Introduced in 1993, Effexor containing venlafaxine was considered safe by thousands of pregnant women to safeguard their yet-to-born child from psychological disorders they are suffering from. However, many of them were unlucky with Effexor antidepressant causing serious birth defects and life-time health problems in their children.
Effexor and Heart Birth Defects
A large number of Effexor defect lawsuits claim congenital birth defects in children born to mothers treated with the drug during pregnancy. Most reported Effexor heart birth defects include,
- neonatal cardiac complications
- hypoplastic heart
- absence or malformation of aorta
- fallot syndrome
- septal defects.
- pulmonary valve deformities
- need for open-heart surgery
- pulmonary stenosis
- heart hole
According to research reports, women using the antidepressant up to the 12th week of pregnancy are 60 percent more likely to have babies with heart defects. A 2009 British Medical Journal report cited potential two-fold higher risk of cardiac complications in Effexor babies. Danish scholars also made similar revelations linking the drug to neonatal heart defects while a 2013 BMJ report based on an analysis of over 100,000 case histories provided supportive evidence. Effexor birth defect lawyers claim that babies as old as for months had open heart surgery due to drug-linked cardiac complications.
Effexor and Lung Birth Defects
Effexor birth defects include persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), a fatal lung disorder. The highest numbers of Effexor lawsuits filed over the death of newborns highlight the lung disorder a cause. Blood vessels in the newborns fail to shut properly causing the lungs being deprived of blood and leading to circulatory failure. Oxygen fails to reach in other body parts resulting in death and near-fatal conditions.
A New England Journal of Medicine report claims that Effexor pregnancy side effects enhance the PPHN risk by six fold. The British Medical Journal published a report in January 2014 citing “2.5-time rise in the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in children born with side effects of antidepressants.” Researchers evaluated findings of seven studies on the antidepressant pregnancy side effects.
Effexor and Cranial Birth Defects
Effexor birth defects may cause children born with brain malformations, cranial disorders, craniosynostosis, anencephaly, and fused skull. The Neuropsychopharmacology journal highlights the increased risk of “Chiari type 1” brain malformations in Effexor babies. Published in May 2014, the report warned that “these mal formations in the cerebellum impact balance, coordination, muscle movement and cognitive functions while squeezing out the spinal canal.”
According to a Anglo-Swedish studies reported in the British Medical Journal, Effexor cause babies to suffer from anencephaly, cranial defects, vertebra deformities, and seizures.
Effexor and Neurological Birth Defects
A 2013 British Medical Journal report warned of two-fold more risk of autism spectrum disorders in children born following Effexor ingestion by mothers. The antidepressant exposure also leads to poor hand-eye coordination, depression, headaches and walking and grasping problems. The FDA also agreed in 2004 on the potential neonatal behavioral syndrome in newborns linked to antidepressant pregnancy side effects.
Apart from heightened autism risk, these babies may suffer from “developmental delays, communication inability, attention disorders, self-absorption, and behavioral problems,” claims a 2011 report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The Pediatrics journal has also published studies highlighting growth and development problems in children linked to antidepressant ingestion by pregnant mothers.
Effexor and Physical Deformities
Effexor birth defect lawyers have highlighted several instances of underdeveloped organs, club foot, cleft lip and palate, neural tube defects, and vertebra deformities in newborns following Effexor use during pregnancy. A 2012 advisory by the American Academy of Pediatrics also warned of physical deformities and birth defects in babies due to prenatal side effects Effexor and similar antidepressants.
If your child is a victim of Effexor birth defect and you are willing pursue defective medical device product liability lawsuit seeking financial damages, please contact our team of Effexor birth defect lawyers today at 1-800-632-1404 for a free consultation.
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