Paxil Lawsuit

If you took Paxil during various stages of pregnancy and your child was diagnosed with either a heart defect or Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) at birth, please contact us right away for advice on a Paxil Lawsuit. You may be entitled to compensation.*

Because of inadequate warnings from pharmaceutical manufacturers, mothers-to-be continue to take their antidepressant drugs while they are pregnant. Unfortunately, studies have indicated that there is an increased chance of birth defects in newborns when the birth mothers take Paxil:

• As reported by WebMD on December 8, 2005, results from studies have indicated an increased chance of heart-related defects in babies whose birth mothers took Paxil early in pregnancy.¹
• According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medication on February 9, 2006, there is increased risk of breathing-related problems for newborns, including Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN), when birth mothers take an antidepressant during pregnancy from a drug class known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).² This includes the drug under the brand name Paxil.

The PPHN lawyers may be able to shed light on the benefits of a Paxil lawsuit for your circumstances if you took Paxil during pregnancy and your newborn was diagnosed with a heart defect, your child was diagnosed with PPHN, or your child had breathing difficulties at birth and is now experiencing developmental delays. Please call us to discuss any issue relating to the Paxil lawsuit. We want to hear from you.

WHAT IS PAXIL?

The Mayo Clinic explains that SSRIs work to block some of the brain cells’ reabsorption (or reuptake) of serotonin, leaving more serotonin in the brain.  More serotonin in the brain has been shown to improve mood.³ The drug sold under the brand name Paxil (with the generic name, Paroxetine) is an SSRI.
SSRIs are sold under numerous brand names including:

• Zoloft
• Prozac
• Celexa
• Cipralex
• Effexor
• Luvox
• Remeron
  

PAXIL SIDE EFFECTS IN NEWBORNS

Symptoms of PPHN appear immediately at birth.

In a normal birth, a baby takes its first breath and the lungs expand. The lungs add oxygen to the lungs, and the pulmonary arteries expand to carry this oxygenated blood throughout the body.

In a child with PPHN, the pulmonary arteries do not expand. In addition to starving vital organs, including the brain, of oxygen, this can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure.

The good news about PPHN is that it can be treated to alleviate the immediate symptoms. These babies can appear normal after treatment. Unfortunately, the bad news is that every second their organs lacked oxygen could have caused serious damage or developmental delays which may not show up for several months.

This damage was also preventable if doctors and their patients had adequate warnings about the dangers of taking SSRIs during the first trimester of pregnancy.

FDA WARNING

On December 8, 2005, the FDA increased Paxil from a pregnancy category C to D based on the drug’s risks to fetuses in studies of pregnant women.

^{* Please note that recovery results vary per client. The recovery amounts in each case reflect the specific facts of that case. Further, recovery amounts in past cases are not a guarantee of future results.}

CONTACT THE SIMMONS FIRM

The Simmons Firm handles a variety of legal matters, including mesothelioma, commercial, intellectual property, defective medical devices and pharmaceutical litigation? Contact the Simmons Firm today, with your legal questions. We’re happy to answer your questions.