Another SSRI Linked to Birth Defects

Have for years, certain antidepressants in the press because of their link to birth defects among infants born to women who took the drug was born during the pregnancy. According to an article showing in the New England Journal of Medicine study published that "adopted children of mothers, Zoloft (sertraline generic born) or other SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) after the 20th week of pregnancy, six times more likely to have been persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN)than children of mothers who are not born to antidepressants during pregnancy. "

Babies born with PPHN have difficulty making the transition from breathing in the womb to normal breathing after birth. This difficulty often leads to respiratory failure that requires the use of a ventilator. Research has found that SSRIs can accumulate in the lungs of adults and serotonin cause the proliferation of certain muscle cells. This may explain the effect of the drug on the fetus. Between 10-20% of theChildren are not born with this disease survive.

The pharmaceutical company, Zoloft, Pfizer Incorporated, manufactures, promotes the drug for diseases in addition to depression, as many women may have been taking the drug, which has never been diagnosed with depression. Zoloft is also prescribed for social anxiety, panic disorder, treat post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The fact that women may be dependent on Zoloft andother SSRIs still presents a different problem. Drugs associated with withdrawal symptoms to be very difficult for the patients and the recruitment of these drugs is something that is to be monitored closely by a doctor. However, continue taking Zoloft presents the additional problem of the child would be the trigger after he is born.

The research shows that almost one third of all infants born to women taking SSRIs born withdrawal symptoms such as trembling, high-pitched crying show, sleep disturbancesDisorders and gastrointestinal problems. An astonishing 13% of the 60 newborns exposed to SSRIs showed severe withdrawal symptoms.

If you are a pregnant woman, Zoloft or other SSRIs, you should contact your doctor immediately. If you suffer from a woman who has the Zoloft while you were pregnant, and your child PPHN, you can have a legitimate claim against the manufacturer of Zoloft.

Many people assume that because a drug is prescribed by a physician, it is safe;Unfortunately, this is not always the case. And, although the FDA monitors drugs before they are released to the public at large, dangerous side effects sometimes do not become apparent for years, according to the approved drugs.