A Simple Guide To Filing Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit

In 2005, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study entitled “Neonatal signs after late in utero exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors: Literature review and implications for clinical applications.” This was the first convincing evidence linking congenital birth defects with Effexor, Zoloft, and similar antidepressants and with it began the decade-old debate over the efficacy of antidepressant use during pregnancy.

A 2006 report in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed a six-fold increase with the threat of fatal lung disorder in babies if Effexor is ingested by a pregnant woman. The British Medical Journal linked the drug use during pregnancy to congenital heart defects in 2006 and published more research evidence on Effexor birth defects in newborns in 2013.

What is Effexor?

Effexor is the first serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor or SNRI antidepressant to be introduced. From 1993, when it was approved, to 2011, the drug was one of the most-prescribed antidepressants. The original manufacturer was Wyeth, which has been a part of Pfizer since 2009. Made to regulate mood-controlling neurotransmitters, the drug is suggested to treat anxiety and depressive disorders.

The manufacturer promoted the drug as superior to other antidepressants and claimed a fewer side effects. The product labeling, however, does not carry any warning for pregnancy side effects. Nor did the manufacturer bother to inform about potential Effexor birth defects risks.

What are major Effexor birth defects?

Research reports started appearing in the early 2000s warning of pregnancy-linked Effexor birth defects. By 2012, there were dozens of reports highlighted the association of the drug with many fatal and non-fatal birth deformities. The high possibility of babies born with defects following prenatal exposure to the drug has manifested in coining of the term “Effexor Baby.”

Effexor antidepressant pregnancy side effects are found to be capable of causing congenital birth defects, such as

persistent pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemia attributed to hypoplastic lung problem
long-term heart defects in newborns, including septum wall defect, intra-cardiac blood shunting, heart hole, hypoplastic hole, ventral, atrial, and septal deformities, omphalocele, and heart failure
cranial defects, including underdeveloped brain, malformations in the brain, imperfect skull
physical defects, including vertebra deformities, flawed neural tube, cleft palates and lip, abdominal malformation, anus deformities
developmental delays, slow learning, speech and walking problems, delayed growth
neurological problems in newborns

What to consider while filing an Effexor birth defect lawsuit?

The checklist prior to the filing of an Effexor birth defect lawsuit must take note of the following points.

Statute of limitations: Each state has its own statute of limitation, a legal framework prescribing time limit for filing various kinds of lawsuits. Find out what is the deadline for drug injury lawsuits. In Tennessee, for example, the statute of limitations for a Tennessee Effexor birth defect lawsuit is one year.
Evidence: Identify if the birth defect claim is directly or indirectly related to the use of Effexor antidepressant.
Documents: You will need to review medical and other documents to support your claim, including the pharmacy records to prove you were prescribed the medication during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Consult with Counsel.

What to allege in an Effexor birth defect lawsuit?

Remember that every case is different. An Effexor birth defect lawsuit can seek various types of damages, such as

Recovery of past medical expenses
Financial assistance for future medical costs
Compensation for disability
Compensation for physical suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of wages
Punitive damages

Am I eligible to file an Effexor birth defect lawsuit?

If your child is a victim of Effexor birth defect and you are willing to seek financial damages for product liability, please contact our Effexor birth defect lawyer at 1-800-632-1404 for a free consultation.

October 15, 2015

Medicating Mood During Pregnancy And Risk of Effexor Birth Defects

Laura, a Tennessee mother in her thirties, is worried over the future of her son born with an Effexor birth defect four years ago. She lost her job and had family problems. Her doctor suggested Effexor antidepressant as a treatment to her anxiety, panic, and depression. She continued taking the drug until the eight week into her pregnancy unaware of what the antidepressant could cause to the baby in her womb. She was hopeful of Effexor benefits in keep her emotional health stable and prevent the depression from impacting the child inside.

Her hope was shattered when doctors used the term “Effexor Baby” to indicate the special condition of her yet-to-born son soon after labor pain began. The boy was put into the neonatal intensive care for days after the birth. Medical examinations revealed he had a fused heart, irregular heartbeat, and other cardiac complications. As her son grew up, Laura came to know more about Effexor birth defects linked to pregnancy and many cases similar to her. At four, the boy continued to receive special care for his heart condition, low immunity, and persistent respiratory problems. Laura is one of the hundreds of parents who have filed Effexor birth defect lawsuits seeking damages.

Things To Know About Effexor Birth Defects

Effexor, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, contains Venlafaxine that regulates neurotransmitters responsible for mood swing.
The drug was first introduced in 1993. Wyeth was the original manufacturer of the antidepressant. Pfizer took over Wyeth in 2009 and it now owns the brand Effexor.
Effexor is prescribed to treat anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. The drug is also used in case of bipolar disorder, diabetic neuropathy, and migraines.
The SNRI antidepressant use during has been linked to fatal birth defects, such as persistent pulmonary hypertension. This lung-disabling disorder is the key deformity behind the development of the acronym “Effexor Baby.”
The medication is also associated with many types of heart deformities, such as septal heart, fused heart, hole in the heart, ventral and atrial defects, underdeveloped valves, septum wall defects, and omphalocele, in newborns.
Other Zoloft birth defect side effects include hypoxemia, intra-cardiac blood shunting, cranial defects, brain and skull malformations, slow brain development, speech impairment, growth delays, deformities in vertebra, defective neural tube, and various physical deformities.
In 2006, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine warned of six-time higher risk of PPHN in babies born to mothers using the antidepressant after 20th week of pregnancy. Health Canada issued a public health warning regarding Effexor pregnancy side effects same year.
The British Medical Journal has published many research reports linking the antidepressant to birth defects. A 2009 study warned of twice higher risk of heart problems while another reported in 2013 made autism risk claims based on the study of over 100,000 patients. In 2014, a third one reportedly discovered that Effexor ingestion by pregnant women enhanced the risk giving birth to children with PPHN by 2.5 times.
Studies by Swedish and English scholars have discovered links between the antidepressant and brain malformations, neurological disorders, vertebra deformities, and anencephaly in newborns.

If your child is a victim of Effexor birth defect and you are willing to seek financial damages for product liability, please contact our Effexor birth defect lawyer or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free consultation.

July 23, 2015

Does Effexor Cause Birth Defect?

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 12^th 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.

April 22, 2015

Why Ingesting Effexor During Pregnancy Is Unsafe, May Lead to Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit

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A recent Effexor birth defect lawsuit filed by a Kentucky mother alleges that her son was born with heart and other abnormalities following her use of the SNRI antidepressant. The mother was prescribed the drug just a year before she conceived and continued it until her second trimester. She came to know about its potential side effects only a few years ago after a medical journal cited two-fold greater risk of heart and other birth defects associated with the drug pregnancy side effects, her Kentucky Effexor birth defect attorney claimed. Her doctor was not even aware of any Effexor birth defect risk in the absence of any such information by the manufacturer.

The first Effexor birth defect lawsuit was initiated by an Ohio couple in 2012 after research reports highlighted link between congenital lung, heart, brain, and other abnormalities and antidepressants. Until then, the drug was purchased by millions who were made to believe by the manufacturer that it was safer than SSRI and other medications with enhanced ability to treat patients suffering from depression.

The federal Effexor MDL has expanded manifold in the past three years with more and more mothers coming forward to file lawsuits. Effexor birth defect lawyers in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and other states are now evaluating hundreds of claims citing “failure to warn, design defect, negligent design, fraud, breach of warranty, gross negligence, and violation of Consumer Sales Practices Acts.”

Studies Warn of Effexor Birth Defects

There are many research studies and clinical evaluations discovering a possible link between antidepressant pregnancy side effects and congenital deformities in newborns. These reports help a Kentucky Effexor birth defect attorney, plaintiffs, and consumer activists to identify the exact nature of injuries and relate it to antidepressant adverse impacts.

In 2002, a group of Australian researchers found that the antidepressant medication was prone to causing toxicity. Four years later, the New England Journal of Medicine warned of fatal lung disorder in newborn babies linked to Effexor. Known as Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), the disorders inhibits the function of lungs immediately after birth and results in acute circulatory distress.

A report endorsed by the Canadian Medical Association warned of two-fold threat of miscarriages following Effexor use. Published in 2010, it cautioned expectant mothers against taking the antidepressant except when benefits were expected to be worthy of such a risk. The FDA has also categorized the drug as Pregnancy C category, which means “risk not ruled out and animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, though there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics notified its members in 2012 of potential Effexor birth defects. According to the British Medical Journal, Effexor birth defects may include physical abnormalities, heart defects, and congenital deformities. Mothers may suffer from post-delivery bleeding while there is two-time higher threat of babies born with hypoplastic hearts.

A group of researchers from Denmark discovered that Effexor exposure during prenatal stage may lead to delayed development and growth in children. There are also reports of autism, spina bifida, and brain malformations associated with antidepressant pregnancy side effects.

Reported Effexor Birth Defects

According to Effexor birth defect lawsuits filed in the past three years, the antidepressant ingestion by pregnant woman caused babies born with

heart defects, such as neonatal cardiac complications fused heart, septal holes, ventral abnormalities, defective valves
lung disorders, such as PPHN and hypoplastic lungs
circulatory problems and Fallot syndrome
cranial problems, such as craniosynostosis, anencephaly, fused skull, brain malformations, and development delays
club foot, cleft lip and palate
infant death or surgery due to underdeveloped organs

There are many studies and claims being evaluated by our Effexor birth defect attorney in Kentucky claim damaged intestine, anus malformations, spinal defects, autism, deformed vertebra, abdominal large head, and various types of limb defects.

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 experienced Effexor birth defect attorney in Kentucky or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free consultation.

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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.

March 5, 2015

Arkansas Effexor Birth Defect Attorney Explores Antidepressant Pregnancy Side Effects

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The stories of “Effexor babies” and their mothers who took to the antidepressant only to endure life-long emotional heartbreak sadden any Arkansas Effexor birth defect attorney evaluating or fighting their lawsuits. Carried away by “safe and secure” claims and money-driven advertisements, these unsuspecting mothers were hardly aware of what could befall on their family following the ingestion of the antidepressant. Over 1,500 adverse events have been reported to the FDA citing congenital heart defects, fatal lung disorders, cranial deformities, death, and other serious Effexor birth defects.

Most Reported Effexor Birth Defect Side Effects

An Effexor birth defect lawyer in Arkansas comes across claims by plaintiffs citing the following major pregnancy side effects caused by the antidepressant:

Fatal lung disorder known as persistent pulmonary hypertension
Life-threatening heart defects
Cranial defects and underdeveloped brain
Premature birth
Congenital neural-tube, abdominal, skull, septum wall, cardiac, and anus deformities
Physical deformities
Cleft lip and palate
Delay in growth and mental development
Intellectual disabilities, including Autism

Warning on Effexor Birth Defect Side Effects

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued an Effexor birth defect advisory for expectant mothers asking doctors to avoid prescribing the drug. Effexor antidepressant is placed by the FDA among the category C medications with a caution that it may cause potential birth injuries in children when ingested by pregnant women. The Health Canada has issued a public alert, informing consumers of possible birth defect risks related to use during pregnancy.

There are also many research reports that assist a Arkansas Effexor birth defect attorney to reinforce the claim of parents of Effexor babies in the court. A 2009 report in the British Medical Journal warned of two-time increased risk of heart defects in newborns because of prenatal Effexor side effects. Another report published earlier in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted a six-time higher risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns because of Effexor crossing through placenta.

Effexor Baby Experiences

A couple allegedly lost their daughter to an Effexor birth defect side effects within two months of her birth. The mother had a history of family depression, and she was prescribed Effexor to treat her condition. Even she was on the medication when got pregnant as her consulting doctor was not sure if there was any scientific evidence linking Effexor side effects on the fetus. When the mother experienced premature labor, the hospital staff prepared themselves for “an Effexor baby” after discovering that she was on the medication. The couple learned about the hazard of Effexor birth injuries from the staff.

The newborn daughter had many birth defects, including circulatory problems, and she spent most of her two-month life in hospitals. On her last day, she suddenly stopped breathing. Though she was revived by doctors, oxygen deprivation had already damaged her brain to a great extent and she succumbed to the condition.

Another couple has sought an undisclosed amount in damages from Pfizer claiming that its antidepressant medication Pfizer was responsible for causing birth defects in their daughter. The Effexor birth injury lawsuit filed by them in a federal court describes the antidepressant as imperfect and unsafe for pregnant women. According to the lawyer representing the couple, the child was born with serious congenital defects because of the use of Effexor by the mother while she was pregnant. She has undergone several surgeries to treat her severe heart defect and is expected to have more surgeries in the future to keep her heart free from life-threatening problems.

Effexor Lawsuits

Hundreds of plaintiffs have already filed Effexor birth defect lawsuits, alleging that nondisclosure of pregnancy side effects by the manufacturer was responsible for “suffering, disability, disfigurement, impairment of working ability, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, and need for constant medical care” of their children. While the MDL set up in a Pennsylvania district court is expanding with the filing of new litigations, Effexor birth defect lawyers in Arkansas are busy evaluating potential claims of state residents.

“Failure to warn, design defect, negligence, negligent design, fraud, breach of warranty, gross negligence, and violation of Consumer Sales Practices Acts” form the basis of product liability claims against the drug manufacturer.

If you or your children have suffered from antidepressant birth defects, please call on 1-800-632-1404 to consult an Effexor birth defect attorney in Arkansas today.

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March 5, 2015

Tennessee Effexor Birth Injury Lawyer Discusses Lawsuits

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Prenatal exposure to the Effexor antidepressant during early pregnancy may cause serious congenital deformities. This article is an attempt to apprise parents of their children about their right to seek compensation from the drug manufacturer. To know more about the process of filing and pursuing a lawsuit seeking financial and non-financial compensation, please call on 1-800-632-1404 or contact our team of Tennessee Effexor birth injury lawyer today.

The medical sector is stirred with debate over how safe and beneficial is Effexor antidepressant for pregnant mothers. With over 1,500 Medwatch complaints and more than 100 lawsuits, the antidepressant is blamed for hundreds of children born with serious birth defects. The silence of manufacturers about these potential side effects, even in the face of multiple research findings, has forced parents and children to endure life-long physical and emotional scars.

While many Effexor babies succumbed to fatal persistent pulmonary hypertension and fused brains, one around six-month old had an open heart surgery. Effexor birth defects have also resulted in multiple valve and other complicated surgeries in children as young as five.

What Are Most Common Effexor Birth Defects

There are a range of antidepressant fatal and non-fatal side effects that may jeopardize the life and health of children during the prenatal stage. It is common for an Effexor birth defect lawyer in Tennessee to evaluate damage claims linking the drug to the following side effects in children including:

Septal and ventral deformities frequently referred to as hole in the heart.
Heart disorders, such as underdeveloped/ fused heart, flawed valves, pulmonary stenosis, and neonatal cardiac complications
Near-fatal lung distress and blue baby syndrome caused by persistent pulmonary hypertension
Cranial deformities, fused skull, brain malformations
Spinal, neural tube, and vertebra defects
Growth and development problems
Neurological events, such as seizure and withdrawal symptoms
Malformations in anus and abdomen

Effexor has also been blamed for causing miscarriages, gastrointestinal bleeding, and postpartum bleeding in women users.

Effexor Lawsuits, Types of Compensation

Parents have the right to seek damages for the wrongful death or birth defects of children traced to Effexor ingestion during pregnancy. Such compensations to be claimed include:

Medical cost recovery and future medical expenditure
Financial damages for monetary losses
Punitive damages
Non-financial damages for physical and psychological suffering

Compensation amount varies from litigation to litigation depending on degree of injury, liability of the manufacturer, state law, and condition of the victim. You should discuss your claim with an Effexor birth injury lawyer.

Status of Pending Litigation

Ever since the first Effexor birth defect lawsuit was initiated by Ohio resident Lauren Boyer in 2012, two years after her newborn daughter succumbed to birth injuries, about 100 Effexor cases have been filed against Wyeth and Pfizer. Overseen by Pennsylvania Judge Cynthia Rufe, the federally imposed Multi-District Litigation continues to expand.

The claims are based on the contention that the drug maker’s “failure to warn, design defect, negligence, negligent design, fraud, breach of warranty, gross negligence, and violation of Consumer Sales Practices Acts” led to birth defects in children.

Contact an Effexor Birth Defect Lawyer Today.

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

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March 4, 2015March 4, 2015

Effexor Birth Injury Lawyer Outlines Reported Link Between Antidepressant, Brain Injury in Newborns

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“Endanger the life of your yet-to-born child or put it to the risk of life-long injuries.” This is what an Effexor birth injury lawyer sums up when describing about the risk of antidepressant ingestion during pregnancy. Pregnant women are anxious over use of the SSRI antidepressant, as research studies have warned of brain malformations and other birth defects in newborns.

Dozens of Effexor birth defect lawsuits have been filed in the last one year alleging that “the medication is defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed for dangers associated, such as medical suffering, disability, disfigurement, impairment of working ability, mental anguish, and need for constant medical care attributed to the manufacturer’s failure to warn, design defect, negligent design, fraud, breach of warranty, and gross negligence.”

Effexor Birth Defect Brain Injuries

One in every five children is likely to born with “Chiari type 1” brain malformations following exposure to serotonin-inhibitor antidepressants during pregnancy. The brain defect risk was first discovered by North Carolina University scholars and was subsequently reported in Neuropsychopharmacology journal (May 2014). These malformations in the cerebellum “impact balance, coordination, muscle movement and cognitive functions while squeezing out the spinal canal.” Children with such deformity are likely to “fall down a lot, walk unusually, have trouble grasping items, or have poor hand-eye coordination and suffer from neck or chest pain, headaches, choking, difficulty speaking, numbness, depression, development delays, and vision distortions.”
According to a report in the Pediatrics journal, Effexor antidepressant birth defects in children result in growth and development problems such as inability to speak or walk compared to normal babies. The report also highlighted the potential risk of withdrawal syndrome in children exposed to SSRI drugs during prior to birth.
A 2013 report in the British Medical Journal highlighted serious Effexor birth defect risks, including anencephaly, cranial defects, vertebra deformities, and seizures. Derived from English and Swedish findings, the journal claimed that babies born following ingestion of Effexor by their mothers had two-time greater risk of autism spectrum disorders.
The Archives of General Psychiatry published a report in 2011 that also cited autism risk in babies due to antidepressant pregnancy side effects. Our Effexor attorney has evaluated several instances where the drug caused children to born with “communication inability, attention disorders, self-absorption, and behavioral problems.”
According to the FDA alert in 2004, Effexor pregnancy exposure may lead to neonatal behavioral syndrome in newborns.
It is common for an Effexor birth injury lawyer to come across plaintiff claims of severe neurological disorders, sleep disorders, underdeveloped brain, and related cranial disorders that are attested by experts as possible Effexor pregnancy side effects.

Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit: Other Side Effects

Fatal lung defect in newborns
Neural tube and vertebra defects
Hypoplastic heart syndrome
Heart valve and septal defects
Spina bifida
Malformations impacting anus and abdomen
Clubfoot and other physical deformities
Cleft lip and palate

Effexor attorneys are evaluating hundreds of potential product liability claims against Pfizer and Wyeth for their “failure to adequately warn or remedy the risks, but instead concealed, suppressed and failed to disclose birth defect dangers associated with antidepressant side effects that resulted in suffering, disability, and disfigurement of newborns.”

To know about the process for filing and pursuing defective medical device product liability claims demanding financial and non-financial damages, please call on 1-800-632-1404 or contact our expert Effexor birth injury lawyer.

Contact an Effexor 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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March 2, 2015

Effexor Attorney Highlights Heart Birth Defect Risk Linked To Antidepressant

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The first Effexor lawsuit filed in 2012 was a sordid tale of agony and suffering that no mother ever likes to have even in her wildest dream. When Ohio resident Lauren Boyer began taking the antidepressant, her primary concern was to save the baby in her womb from mental depression she was going through. According to her Effexor attorney, she was “overjoyed to learn that they would be having a baby girl, who they named Adelaide; however, shortly after taking her first breath on February 11, 2010, it was discovered that Adelaide suffered lethal cardiac anomalies, including severe left hypoplastic heart, a malformed aorta, no aortic value, a malformed mitral valve and other related conditions.”

The infant died due to fatal birth defects that her parents linked to Effexor antidepressant pregnancy side effects. The product liability litigation has sought strict liability on 17 counts, including design defect, fraud and misrepresentation, and failure to warn.”

Effexor Birth Defect Leads To Open Heart Surgery in Six-Month Old

A six-month old boy had open heart surgery following antidepressant side effects, claims another Effexor birth defects filed by an Arizona mother. The son was born with “valve defects, aortic stenosis, and other cardiac complications” following ingestion of the antidepressant drug by his mother during pregnancy. Doctors performed “cardiac catheterization and a valvuloplasty” when he was just four-day old, but the complications continued to endanger his life and insertion of “an artificial pulmonary valve through required open heart surgery” at the age of six months, claims the Effexor attorney representing the family.

The boy also has many minor and major heart stabilization procedures, including a second heart surgery at the age of four, till date. Experts monitoring the boy have advised for a transplant to prevent periodic surgeries to replace heart valves. According to the Effexor birth defect lawsuit, parents came to know about link between Effexor pregnancy side effects and the condition of their son in 2012, after research studies and lawsuits highlighted similar events.

Effexor Birth Injury Lawsuit for Heart Defects

The major Effexor heart defects reported so far, by both parents and researchers, include the following types of injuries.

Neonatal cardiac complications leading to circulatory distress and frequent hospitalization
Hypoplastic heart syndrome caused by underdeveloped left ventricle and requiring surgical intervention.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension or failure of blood circulation to reach the lungs
Absence or malformation of aorta that severely compromise the infants’ ability to keep on circulatory mechanism.
Fallot syndrome, a factor leading to blue baby syndrome, heart murmur, and low blood-oxygen level, caused by septal defects.
Valve defect or mitral valve deformities requiring open-heart surgery to implant pulmonary valves and replace them with the growth in age.
Pulmonary stenosis and atresia that results in pulmonary hypertension and circulatory obstructions leading to serious heart disorders in newborns.
Septal and ventral defects, commonly known as heart hole, impact circulatory pressure, blood flow, and heart functions.

Most of these Effexor heart defects require the children to undergo surgical intervention within days or months of their birth to survive. Despite surgeries, the quality of life of children born with these heart defects due to Effexor intake by mothers while pregnant are severely compromised and they face recurrent cardiovascular problems linked to congenital birth defects.

Effexor Birth Injury Heart Defects: Research Studies

Independent researchers have highlighted 40% more risk of Effexor birth injury if the antidepressant is used until the 12^th week of pregnancy. The newborns, in such a scenario, are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with heart defects.

Effexor, considered by many as a safer antidepressant alternative, has been linked to serious heart defects in children born to pregnant women using the medication. The SNRI drug introduced by Wyeth in 1993 and subsequently acquired by Pfizer is subject to hundreds of litigations for causing infant birth injuries, disability, cardiac abnormalities, lung defects, neural tube and brain abnormalities, fatal heart conditions, and death through prenatal exposure.

A British Medical Journal report has warned of two-fold higher risk of heart defects in newborns when exposed to Effexor during the first pregnancy trimester. While researchers identified septal defects as common Effexor birth injury heart problem, they also alerted that using more than one antidepressant may double the risk to four-fold.

Danish researchers claim that infants are likely to have potential congenital injuries, including heart defects, even when the antidepressant is taken by women within a month prior to her conception. According to the report, the risk increases with the progress in pregnancy.

Contact an Effexor 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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December 12, 2014

Effexor Attorney: How Fatal Antidepressant Birth Defect Side Effects Are?

Effexor Attorney for Birth Defects: 1-800-632-1404

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How safe is it to use antidepressant during pregnancy? Talk to an Effexor attorney to know how women taking antidepressant drugs are/were fighting hard to save their children instead of enjoying the bliss of motherhood. Since 2005, there have been numerous research studies citing the serious risk of Effexor birth defects. Even the FDA had warned of potential birth injuries to newborns when antidepressants used by expectant mothers.

Effexor Birth Defects: The Fear Factor

Serious lung disorder
Heart defects, such as hypoplastic heart, septal flaws, valve problems, etc.
Brain and cranial defects, including anencephaly, chiari malformations
Autism and delays in growth and development
Deformities in neural tube
Spina bifida, vertebra and anus malformations
Neurological disorders
Cleft lip and palate, clubfoot

Effexor Antidepressant and Pregnancy: The Reality

Women taking Effexor or other SNRI and SSRI antidepressants unintentionally put their unborn babies at the risk of life-threatening birth defects in the absence of any information on such potential side effects by the manufacturer. A Mississippi woman gave birth to a girl child with heart defects and persistent pulmonary hypertension. Doctors categorized the newborn as an “Effexor baby” or those born with such injuries due to prenatal exposure to the SNRI antidepressant. The child, who remained in neonatal intensive care and had surgeries soon after the birth, requires life-long medical care now to live a normal life.

The mother took Effexor for five months until she gave birth to her daughter. Her Effexor attorney claims that “the drug is unreasonably dangerous/defective drug as specified by Mississippi law due to (Pfizer’s) failure to adequately warn patients and their physicians and the manufacturer acted with gross negligence which evidences a willful, wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of others, entitling both mother and daughter to punitive damages.”

An Ohio woman has filed an Effexor lawsuit saying that “the medication is defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed and sold in commerce and lacked proper warnings as to the dangers associated with its use.” She ingested antidepressant regularly while she was pregnant and came to know about its horrific side effects only after her son was born with atrial septal flaw and other cardiac birth defects. Her Effexor lawyer asserts that the child had congenital deformities as the manufacturer failed to list “about any birth defects and other serious pregnancy issues associated with the use of Effexor or emphasized within the Effexor prescribing information and/or drug label, which make many to believe that Effexor was safe for use during pregnancy and would not cause birth defects.”

Effexor Birth Defect Research: Reports Highlight Concern

Six-time higher risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (lung disorder), New England Journal of Medicine, 2006
Two-fold risk of post-delivery hemorrhage and birth defects, British Medical Journal, August 2013
Severe heart defects and deformities in newborns, British Medical Journal, 2009
Delayed growth and development of children, speaking, walking, and sitting problems, Pediatrics Journal, March 2010
Effexor birth defect risk, American Academy of Pediatrics Advisory, 2012

Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit

Thousands of parents have lost their children or trying hard to ensure a normal life for them because “Pfizer and Wyeth took no action to adequately warn or remedy the risks, but instead concealed, suppressed and failed to disclose birth defect dangers” associated with Effexor. This mistake on the part of manufacturers forced parents and children suffer from life-long grief, pain, and economic losses.

Women or children subject to “suffering, disability, disfigurement, impairment of working ability, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, and constant medical care” due to “manufacturer’s failure to warn, design defect, negligence, negligent design, fraud, breach of warranty, gross negligence, and violation of Consumer Sales Practices Acts” are at liberty to file Effexor product liability lawsuits.

An Effexor birth defect MDL has been created under Pennsylvania federal Judge Cynthia Rufe for pretrial consolidation of similar lawsuits. The first trial is expected to be held in November 2015.

To know about the process for filing Effexor lawsuit and pursue defective medical device product liability claims for financial and non-financial damages citing drug maker’s actions and inactions, please contact us or call on 1-800-632-1404.

Contact an Effexor 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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November 21, 2014

Court Permits Direct Filing of Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit

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In a big relief for parents seeking to file Effexor birth defect lawsuits, the US federal court for Pennsylvania Eastern District, which handles the pretrial consolidation, have allowed direct filing into the MDL pool. Judge Cynthia M. Rufe issued the ruling with certain conditions considering that plaintiffs had almost identical claims and discovery proceedings and such a measure would mitigate time and resources lost in filing at other courts and transferring them later.

In 2013, the panel for federal multidistrict litigation ordered transferring of all Effexor birth defect lawsuits filed against Pfizer and its subsidiary Wyeth to the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania. Judge Rufe was selected to preside over the pretrial consolidation of nine initial litigations, which has been expanded by almost 10 times in the last one year and likely to be increased manifold as Effexor attorneys busy reviewing thousands of potential lawsuits alleging antidepressant side effects on unborn children.

The centralization was aimed at accelerating the litigation process by reducing duplicative discovery and time-consuming processes and ending any chance of conflicting rulings while making expert witness deposition more convenient. November 2, 2015 is tentatively selected as the date for the first bellwether trial of federal Effexor birth defect lawsuits.

New Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit Order Set Conditions

According to the ruling dated September 2, 2014, the court permitted the entry of Effexor claims for birth defect injuries “to promote judicial efficiency” and subject to the following conditions.

Every claim filed into MDL directly should be a “single-plaintiff complaint” filed by an individual alone or with his family members for himself or on behalf of a deceased person.
One claim per child born with birth defects linked to Effexor exposure is allowed.
No multi-plaintiff complaint is allowed for direct filing without court approval.
All direct-filed Effexor litigations must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
The lawsuit is required to give details, including

Details of specific defendants named in the litigation
Information on products blamed for birth defect
Date of birth of the child born with birth defect
If applicable, date of death of the child born with birth defect

Effexor Birth Defects

Heart defect: Hypoplastic heart syndrome, septal defects, valve problem, ventricular disorder
Respiratory defect: PPHN or Persistent Pulmonary hypertension, circulatory distress, acute long failure
Cranial defect: Skull deformities, Chiari Type 1 malformations, neural tube defects, underdeveloped brain
Physical defect: Anus deformities, vertebra defect, cleft palate, other bodily deformities
Neurological defect: Autism, disoriented development, failure to match growth milestones

Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuits

Several research reports and Effexor lawsuit have linked the antidepressant ingestion during pregnancy to birth defects in newborns. Marketed as the safest antidepressant, the drug is now put in the class of SSRI and SNRI drugs that pose serious threat to fetal development when taken by pregnant women. The recurring reports of children born with malformations, heart defects, PPHN and potential developmental delays associated with Effexor therapy, pregnant mothers are in quandary over balancing their mental health and preventing any impact on their unborn child.

Effexor attorneys representing plaintiffs filed in the recent years share allegations that Pfizer and Wyeth were aware of pregnancy side effects the drug, but did not release the data to ensure commercial gains. This led pregnant women to consider the drug safe and ingest it to treat their depression, which could have impacted the child in the womb. However, the antidepressant had its own side effects in the form of birth defects in children born to such mothers.

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 experienced Effexor attorneys or call on 1-800-632-1404 for a free consultation.

Contact an Effexor 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.

For a Free Case Evaluation:

TOLL FREE: 1-800-632-1404

EMAIL: click here

FILL OUT THIS FORM: