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With over 600 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits awaiting trial and many more expected, Pfizer’s once bestselling antidepressant is now subject to intense legal scrutiny. The use of Zoloft by pregnant mothers has been linked to serious heart, skull, and lung defects in newborns and even death of babies within hours of birth. Research reports have also highlighted a range of potential Zoloft birth defects in babies exposed to the drug during the prenatal stage.
Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: Decoding the Drug
- Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant
- Zoloft is prescribed to treat major adult depressive disorders
- Sertraline is the key ingredient in Zoloft and acts by inhibiting serotonin neurotransmitter responsible for feeling of wellbeing
- Pfizer began marketing Zoloft in 1991
- Zoloft became the second highest sold antidepressant in 2011
- FDA categorized Zoloft as a pregnancy C class medication
- With the expiry of Pfizer’s patent in 2006, the drug is also available in generic form
Zoloft Birth Injury Lawsuit: Research Studies
- The April 2014 edition of PLosOne reported that there was a high possibility of pregnant women suffering from preterm labor and delivering babies with several Zoloft birth defects and deformities when treated with the SSRI antidepressant.
- A January 2014 report in the British Medical Journal linked use of Zoloft and similar antidepressants during pregnancy to fatal lung disorders, such as PPHN, in babies.
- In May 2012, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology warned of a five-time rise in the risk of newborns suffering from premature birth and seizers, when pregnant mothers treated with Zoloft.
- In October 2012, a review of more than 100 research studies reported by the Human Reproduction journal highlighted the hazard of Zoloft birth defects, such as neurobehavioral abnormalities, heart and lung disorders, brain deformities, vertebra defects, and underdeveloped internal organs, due to prenatal exposure of babies to the drug.
- In 2012, the US National Academy of Science expressed fear of potential developmental delays in babies due to Zoloft birth defects. In July 2011, a Times Magazine warned of autism in babies born to mothers who had been prescribed Zoloft during pregnancy.
- In 2009, a study in the British Medical Journal disapproved of the use of Zoloft by pregnant women, citing the risk of congenital heart disorders in babies born with Zoloft birth defects.
Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: Major Side Effects Impacting Newborns
- Persistent pulmonary hypertension or a fatal lung disorder that prevents blood and oxygen circulation in newborns soon after their birth
- Heart defects, such as congenital cardiovascular problems, faulty heart valves, hypoplastic heart, septal deformities, and other problems
- Skull and brain deformities, including anencephaly, premature skull ossification, seizures, cranial pain, and distorted vision, and sleep disorder
- Neurological problems in babies
- Autism, delays in growth, and missed developmental milestones
- Under developed internal organs, such as spina bifida, vertebra deformities, rectum defects, abdominal malformations, and neural tube defects
- External injuries, including cleft lip and palate, abnormal skull, and neo-behavioral syndrome
- Withdrawal syndrome
Zoloft Birth Injury Lawsuit: Regulator Warnings
- FDA black box warning for suicidal behavior (2005, 2007)
- FDA alert for pregnancy-linked Zoloft birth defects (2006)
- Health Canada advisory on Zoloft birth defects (2006)
- Danish studies warning of withdrawal syndrome in newborns (2009)
Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit: The Litigation
Pfizer has been named as the defendant in over 600 Zoloft birth injury lawsuits filed in U.S. courts. Pennsylvania Eastern District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe is presiding over pretrial consolidation of all federal Zoloft birth defect lawsuits. Dozens of litigations have also been filed in various state courts. With expert hearing and discovery phase is set to be completed, the first Zoloft birth injury lawsuit is likely to face trial in October 2014.
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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