Paxil Lawsuit Birth Defects
More families are filing Paxil lawsuits relating to birth defects after their children were exposed to the antidepressant drug in utero. Paxil is a prescription medicine that is used to treat depression.
More families are filing Paxil lawsuits relating to birth defects after their children were exposed to the antidepressant drug in utero. Paxil is a prescription medicine that is used to treat depression. It works by balancing the brain chemical serotonin, which is believed to affect mood. Paxil has been used for over twenty years and is prescribed for depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bulimia nervosa.
Depression is more common in women than men, and it is often found in women who are pregnant. In fact, 20% of pregnant women have symptoms of depression.
Doctors agree that for the health of both the mother and baby, it is best to treat the depression. Untreated mothers are more likely to deliver premature or underweight babies. In addition, pregnant women who are depressed may be more likely to engage in behavior, such as drinking alcohol, taking drugs or smoking, which can harm the baby.
While a variety of treatment options are available, Paxil was often prescribed because it was effective and had minimal side effects. Over time, however, researchers began to see a startling correlation. Babies whose mothers used Paxil while pregnant were more likely to be born with certain specific birth defects. These birth defects seemed to be related to the period within the pregnancy when the mother took Paxil.
When Paxil was taken during early pregnancy, it affected the development of the heart, abdomen and skull. Women who took Paxil during the third trimester, however, were more likely to have babies with a lung condition called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).
All of these conditions may result in multiple surgeries, physical, mental and developmental delays. The more serious abnormalities may also result in death.
Eventually, the FDA issued a recommendation that pregnant women should not take Paxil unless the medicine
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