Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are common in modern society, especially among women of childbearing age. Currently, the most popular treatment for depression is chemical therapy with Prozac®, Paxil®, or other SSRI's. Unfortunately, the risks for women taking Prozac®, Paxil®, and other SSRI's during pregnancy can be great, so great that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recommended that women avoid Paxil® during pregnancy, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated Paxil® a Class D drug, indicating that it has been shown to cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

 

What Are the Birth Defect Risks of Prozac® & Paxil®?

 

There are two main birth defect risks related to the use of Prozac® (fluoxetine) and Paxil® (paroxetine): congenital heart defects and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). Paxil® has been associated with heart defects since at least 2005, and in 2006 the FDA ordered its labeling be changed to include the risk of cardiac defects. At least one recent study has also suggested that Prozac® may contribute to the risk of heart defects.

 

Prozac®, Paxil®, and many other SSRI's have also been shown to increase the risk of PPHN. Since some research indicates that PPHN may be related to developmental heart defects, future research may indicate that more SSRI's can lead to heart birth defects.

 

Congenital Heart Defects that Result from Prozac® & Paxil® Use

 

Early research on the effect of antidepressant use during pregnancy indicated that women using Paxil® during early pregnancy were more likely to have children with cardiovascular malformations. The most common forms of heart defects were ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect (VSD and ASD). The septum is the membrane that divides the left and right chambers of the heart from one another, and defects to the septum disrupt the normal functioning of the heart.

 

VSD's and ASD's create a situation in which some oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the heart's right side into the left side, where it is sent to the lungs, creating a circulatory inefficiency in which the heart is forced to work harder to supply the body with oxygenated blood. It may also create pulmonary hypertension or high blood pressure in the lungs, which can damage blood vessels in the lungs. Some septal defects have no symptoms and heal on their own, but more serious ones require surgery, normally during the first two years of life. Unclosed VSD's put a child at a long term risk of endocarditis, an infection of the heart's lining and valves.

 

Studies have linked these congenital heart defects to Prozac® and Paxil®.

 

PPHN

 

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a condition in which blood has difficulty reaching the lungs of the infant following birth. This leads to very low blood oxygen saturation, which requires the heart to work harder to try and correct the situation. The combination of stress on the heart and low blood oxygen levels can lead to death of the infant soon after birth. Even if the child survives, he or she may suffer developmental delays, hearing loss, and brain damage.

 

Studies have linked PPHN to Prozac®, Paxil®, Luvox, and Zoloft, with varying degrees of risk.

 

Symptoms of Prozac® and Paxil® Birth Defects

 

Because both VSD/ASD and PPHN are characterized by lower oxygen saturation in the blood, they have similar symptoms in the infant, which may include:

• Respiratory distress
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid heart rate
• Low oxygen levels--often signaled by a blue tint to the baby's skin--even when receiving supplemental oxygen
• Abnormal heart sound

 

The Best Way to Quit Paxil®

 

As with smoking, the best way to quit is to never start. If you are a woman being treated for depression, and your prescribing doctor knew you were considering getting pregnant, you should have been prescribed a different SSRI before Paxil®. In addition, your doctor should have talked to you about stopping Paxil® as soon as your pregnancy was confirmed. Failure to do so may constitute medical negligence or malpractice.

 

If you are on Paxil® and you have recently discovered you are pregnant, you should not stop taking your medication without first consulting with your prescribing physician about stopping or transitioning to another SSRI or antidepressant.

 

Compensation for Your Prozac® & Paxil® Injuries

 

If your child was born with a birth defect as a result of Paxil® or Prozac® use during pregnancy, you have a right to compensation for your child's birth injuries. The pharmaceutical injury attorneys at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton represent parents in all 50 states who have suffered  medical expenses and emotional injury as a result of their child's birth defect. To learn more, schedule a free Prozac® or Paxil® birth defect lawsuit consultation today.