Paxil Birth Defects and PPHN Litigation

Newport Beach California Paxil Birth Defect and PPHN Attorneys

Since September, 2005 information has been emerging that Paxil may cause birth defects, including:

- cardiac (heart)
- pulmonary - PPHN (lung)
- neural-tube defects (brain and spinal cord)
- craniosynostosis (abnormally shaped skull)
- infant omphalocele (abdominal wall defects)
- club foot (one or both feet turn downward and inward)
- anal atresia (complete or partial closure of the anus)

Several of these defects have now been linked with other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants such as Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Symbyax and Prozac, as well.

Heart Defects: The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Paxil on December 8, 2005 based on U.S. and Swedish studies showing that exposure to Paxil in the first trimester of pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of heart defects. Most of the cardiac defects observed in these studies were atrial or ventricular septal defects, conditions in which the wall between the right and left sides of the heart is not completely developed. In general, septal defects are one of the most common types of congenital malformations.

PPHN: On July 19, 2006 the FDA issued another Public Health Advisory for Celexa (citalopram), Fluvoxamine, Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine, Symbyax (olanzapine and fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline) based on a study that suggests there may be additional risks of SSRI medications during pregnancy. In this study PPHN was six times more common in babies whose mothers took an SSRI antidepressant after the 20th week of the pregnancy compared to babies whose mothers did not take an antidepressant.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) is a serious and life-threatening lung condition that occurs soon after birth of the newborn. Babies with PPHN have high pressure in their lung blood vessels and are not able to get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. About 1 to 2 babies per 1000 babies born in the U.S. develop PPHN shortly after birth, and often they need intensive medical care.

Contact Dangerous Drug Attorneys Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson

Attorneys at Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson have been representing victims of Paxil in lawsuits against its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline for years. For example:

Karen Barth Menzies has been litigating SSRI antidepressant (including Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft) cases for more than 12 years. In 2003, she was appointed Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Paxil Products Liability Litigation (MDL 1574). She is also co-liaison counsel in the Paxil birth defect and PPHN cases pending in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (GSK's home town). Karen has testified twice before FDA advisory boards as well as the California State Legislature on the safety concerns regarding the SSRI antidepressants and the manufacturers' misconduct. She has authored numerous publications on Paxil and the SSRI antidepressants, and has been a frequent speaker at legal seminars on the topics of FDA, drug safety and federal preemption. She is most proud of the speeches she has been invited to give to healthcare professionals and patients at medical seminars both in the U.S. and internationally.

Jennifer Liakos is a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Paxil Products Liability Litigation (MDL 1574) and has been litigating against GlaxoSmithKline in lawsuits involving Paxil for 6 years. Jennifer is also a recognized leader of the Paxil birth defect and PPHN cases in Philadelphia and around the country. Jennifer currently dedicates her entire practice to the many families she represents whose children were born with heart defects or PPHN and whose mothers' took Paxil or other SSRI antidepressants without ever knowing their child would be at risk.

If you or a family member was placed on Paxil during pregnancy and the child was born with a birth defect or PPHN, contact Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson today for a free consultation.