Ohio Birth Injury Lawyer
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed antidepressants. They are used to treat many conditions, not just depression, and are sometimes prescribed for pregnancy-induced depression. Unfortunately, SSRI’s carry a very high risk of causing birth defects. If you used an SSRI and your child has a birth defect, please talk to an experienced Ohio birth injury lawyer today.
Autism
Research published in July, 2011 found an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the babies of women who took SSRIs during the year before delivery. Researchers were surprised to find no correlation between autism and a history of mental illness in the mother, as long as the mother did not take an SSRI.
The highest risk for autism occurred when mothers took SSRIs during the first trimester of pregnancy, a time when many women do not even know they are pregnant.
Congenital Heart Defects
SSRIs have been linked to many heart abnormalities including:
- Holes in the heart
- Tetralogy of fallot (TOF)
- Atrial septal defects (ASD)
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Double Aortic Arch
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
- Transposition of the great arteries (TGA)
- Ventricular septal defects (VSD)
- Tricuspic Atresia
- Double Outlet Right Ventricle
- Truncus Arteriosus
- Double Inlet Left Ventricle
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
In pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure in the lungs prevents oxygen from travelling into the bloodstream from the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension is actually the normal condition for babies in the womb, because they get their oxygen from the mother through the umbilical cord and do not need to use their lungs.
When blood pressure in the lungs does not normalize after delivery it becomes persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). PPHN is a very dangerous condition and is fatal in about 10% to 20% of victims.
Other SSRI Birth Defects
Other dangerous birth defects linked to SSRIs include:
- Omphalocele or gastrochesis (conditions in which abdominal organs are on the outside of the body)
- Craniosynostosis (early closer of skull sutures)
- Anencephaly (absence of part of the brain or skull)
- Arm, leg, hand, and foot malformation
If you believe that your child’s birth defect was caused by SSRI use, please call an experienced Ohio birth injury lawyer of The Thompson Law Firm at 1-614-461-9000 or toll free 1-800-461-9013 or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
