Prozac , manufactured by Eli Lilly, has been linked to serious, life-threatening birth defects.
Approved by the FDA in 1987, Prozac is used by millions of Americans for anxiety and depression. The FDA is strengthening its warning for the antidepressant Prozac because it may be associated with birth defects, specifically, congenital heart defects, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), abdominal and cranial defects.
UPDATE: Study Confirms Prozac Increases Risk of Birth Defects
July 9, 2015 — When women use Prozac just before or during the first three months of pregnancy, they may double or triple the risk of having a baby with certain birth defects, according to a new study. Click here to read more.
July 1, 2014 — The use of Prozac or other antidepressants during pregnancy could increase levels of triglycerides, fat, and cholesterol in a developing fetus, which could increase a child’s risk of diabetes and obesity, according to a study presented at a joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and The Endocrine Society. Click here to read more.
April 29, 2014 — The use of high-dose antidepressants in children aged 10-24 has been linked to at least a doubled increased risk of deliberate self-harm (suicidal) behavior, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Click here to read more.
October 19, 2012 — A new study has linked Prozac to an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding in the brain, and stroke. This increased risk could be especially significant for people with risk factors for bleeding, such as those taking blood-thinning medications (like Pradaxa or warfarin). Click here to read more.
What is the problem with Prozac?
Prozac is used by millions of Americans to treat depression. More specifically, pregnant women have been prescribed Prozac to help with anxiety involved with their pregnancy. The fetuses of these women using Prozac or other SSRI antidepressants such as Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Symbyax, and Zoloft are at a greater risk of developing a birth defect.
The two most common forms of an SSRI antidepressant congenital heart defect are atrial septal defects or ventricular septal defects. Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum. There is a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart that allows for this blood flow exchange. Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) is when there is a large opening between the ventricles allowing a large amount of oxygen-rich blood from the heart’s left side through the defect on the right side. It is then pumped back into the lungs, even though it has been oxygenated. This is wasteful, since blood that’s already been to the lungs is returning there, and blood that needs to go to the lungs is being displaced. The heart, which has to pump an extra amount of blood, is overworked and may enlarge.
The results of the study have shown that babies born to mothers who took Prozac were more likely to develop Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), than babies born to mothers who did not take Prozac during pregnancy. PPHN is failure of the normal circulatory transition that occurs after birth. It is a syndrome characterized by marked pulmonary hypertension that causes hypoxemia and right-to-left extrapulmonary shunting of blood. With inadequate pulmonary perfusion, neonates develop refractory hypoxemia, respiratory distress, and acidosis.
SSRI antidepressants like Prozac may cause two separate congenital abnormalities called Omphalocele and Craniosynostosis . An omphalocele is a congenital (present at birth) abdominal wall birth defect in which the infant’s intestine or other abdominal organs stick out of the belly button (navel). In babies with an omphalocele, the intestines are covered only by a thin layer of tissue and can be easily seen. Craniosynostosis is a congenital (present at birth) defect that causes one or more sutures on a baby’s head to close earlier than normal. Sutures are connections that separate each individual skull bones. The early closing of a suture leads to an abnormally shaped head.
Prozac Class Action Lawsuit Information
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but we are not filing a Prozac class action lawsuit at this time. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits on behalf of children who were born with severe birth defects. We believe there is no excuse for drug-makers who fail to warn about the risk of birth defects. By filing individual lawsuits, our trial attorneys help each of our clients maximize their financial recovery and seek justice for their child’s injury, pain and suffering, medical expenses, disability, and more.