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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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