Wright & McGurk Advises Pregnant Women That Taking SSRI Antidepressants Can Cause Birth Defects

Oct. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Today Wright & McGurk Law is advising expectant mothers taking antidepressant SSRI medications that they may be placing their unborn child at risk for birth defects.  These range from abnormal mental and physical formation to seizures.  SSRI antidepressant medications include: Paxil®, Prozac®, Zoloft®, Celexa®, Lexapro®, Luvox®, and Viibryd®.  The FDA warns that based on numerous recent studies, expectant mothers taking SSRI’s have a 1 to 2 times greater risk of having serious birth defects, particularly heart and lung problems.  
There are numerous recent studies that establish a link between taking SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy and giving birth to a child with birth defects.  In each of these studies, the expectant mothers who took their antidepressant drugs as prescribed put their babies at significant risk.  According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health, between 20% and 30% of newborns exposed to SSRI’s have disorders such as agitation, abnormal muscle tone and suction, seizures and hyponatraemia characterized by abnormal mental development.  This means that 1 in 5 babies could potentially have seizures and mental disorders.  A recent New England Journal of Medicine study also cites SSRI’s as a cause of significant risk of a fatal heart and lung condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).  And the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reports a 3 times greater risk for heart defects in babies born to mothers taking SSRI’s while pregnant.  These are not isolated cases and instead reflect a growing concern for expectant mothers and health practitioners.  

Expectant mothers want to do the right thing and protect their unborn children.  And in doing so, tend to trust the medication that their doctor prescribed is safe.  Therefore, many mothers do not know that their antidepressant medication is a danger to their unborn child.  According to a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study, 50% of women taking prescription drugs during pregnancy were unaware that these drugs could cause birth defects because they had not been warned of the side effects.  Armed with the necessary information, expectant mothers can protect the health of their child and review their legal options.

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Extensive product liability experience gives Candace McGurk the expertise necessary to handle your defective prescription drug case.  She is a compassionate trial lawyer who fights for women’s rights. With over 20 years of experience as a trial lawyer, Candace McGurk is used to fighting defective prescription drug manufacturers and achieving results.  

Wright & McGurk Law has over 30 years of experience fighting zealously on behalf of injured people and family members who have lost a loved one due to negligence.  We are experts at fighting to achieve the fairness and justice our clients deserve.  The lawyers at Wright & McGurk Law will not treat you like just another client.  We are passionate about our role as your advocate and will treat you with the respect and compassion that you deserve. At Wright &McGurk, we understand that you may be in pain and we want to help get you the compensation you deserve.  Cases are accepted nationwide; call us today for a free confidential consultation at (800) 471-0346. http://wrightmcgurk.com/