Zoloft Birth Defects - Multiple Categories of Zoloft Birth Defects Associated with Use During Pregnancy
Zoloft birth defects have recently been brought to light by the New England Journal of Medicine and National Birth Defects Prevention Study, which is funded by the CDC. While most of the focus on Zoloft birth defects has been on cardiac birth defects, or congenital heart defects, Zoloft is thought to be even more likely to cause other types of birth defects. Taking Zoloft any time during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, but use in the first and third trimester are often considered some of the worst periods for fetal exposure and increasing risks of all forms of birth defects as well as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
Types of Zoloft Birth Defects
Zoloft and other antidepressants have been associated with increased risk in most categories of birth defects. Below are descriptions of some of the types of birth defects experienced after the mother took Zoloft during pregnancy and the likelihood of giving birth to a child with a birth defect after taking Zoloft:
Anencephaly Zoloft Birth Defects
One of the most common neural tube birth defects, which are birth defects that affect the tissue that grows into the spinal cord and brain. It occurs early in the development of an unborn baby and results when the upper part of the neural tube fails to close. Symptoms include absence of the skull, absence of the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum portions of the brain, facial feature abnormalities and heart defects. Anencephaly occurs in roughly 1 in 10,000 births, but concerns have grown that antidepressant drugs in the SSRI class, such as Zoloft, may increase risk factors by 200% or more, demonstrated by a study published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Craniosynostosis Zoloft Birth Defects
Congenital birth defect where the connections that separate individual skull bones close earlier than normal, leading to an abnormally shaped head. Craniosynostosis usually requires surgery while the child is still an infant to relieve any pressure on the brain and ensure that there is enough room in the skull for proper brain growth, as well as improve the appearance of the baby’s head.
Omphalocele Zoloft Birth Defects
Birth defect in which the intestine or other abdominal organs protrude from the navel caused by the muscles in the umbilical ring not closing properly, resulting in the intestine remaining outside of the umbilical cord. Omphaloceles require surgery to be corrected. Zoloft use may double the chances of omphalocele birth defects, also demonstrated by a study published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a birth defect where parts of the left side of the heart, including the mitral valve, left ventricle, aortic valve and aorta, fail to fully develop. Recent evidence has linked an increased risk of a child being born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome to antidepressant use, including Zoloft, by the mother during pregnancy. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome may be present with other Zoloft birth defects.
Other Zoloft birth defects include club foot and spina bifida.
Zoloft and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
Zoloft use during the last half of a pregnancy, particularly the third trimester, is thought to be a cause of persistent pulmonary hypertenstion of the newborn, a failure of the normal circulatory transition that occurs after birth.
Compensation for Those Suffering from Zoloft Birth Defects
If you or a loved one has had a child with a birth defect or experienced severe psychological or physical side effects after taking Zoloft, our team of Zoloft lawyers are experienced in battling pharmaceutical giants, including Pfizer, and have the expertise, experience and resources to handle the complex nature of Zoloft birth defects cases.
Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC -