Zoloft Birth Defects

Several studies conducted over the past decade have identified a risk of Zoloft birth defects in infants of mothers who take this and other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drugs during pregnancy.

Researchers in the United States and Europe have linked SSRI drugs like Zoloft to serious birth defects like skull deformities, defects of the brain and spine, heart defects, lung defects, abdominal defects, club foot and facial cleft deformities.

In many cases, scientists found that SSRI drugs such as Zoloft increased the risk of severe birth defects by as much as 600%.

Unfortunately, Zoloft has been taken by hundreds of millions of people and the makers of the drug gave no warning about the serious health risks like Zoloft birth defects. They have continued to sell it to patients around the world earning billions of dollars per year.

Zoloft Birth Defect

If you took Zoloft and have given birth to a child with birth defects, it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. The time to recover for your child’s condition is limited.

Legal help is available for those children and families who have been affected by these drugs. Review the additional information about Zoloft birth defects in this section, then contact us to discuss your legal options.

Zoloft Heart Defects

The FDA first issued a warning in 2005 that taking SSRI drugs like Zoloft during the first trimester of pregnancy could increase the risk of heart defects. Most often, these are atrial septal defects (ASD) or ventricular septal defects (VSD), which are dangerous holes in the heart.

More recent studies have shown that Zoloft can more than triple the risk of these types of heart defects.

Zoloft PPHN and Lung Defects

In 2006, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that taking certain SSRI drugs like Zoloft during pregnancy could also increase the risk of serious lung defects like Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) by up to 600%.

PPHN is a serious condition in which an infant’s circulatory system does not adjust to breathing outside of the womb. It also causes high blood pressure in the newborn’s lungs which restricts new oxygen-rich blood from entering. PPHN can be fatal.

Zoloft Neural Tube Defects

The New England Journal of Medicine released a study in 2007 which showed SSRI drugs like Zoloft taken during pregnancy could also lead to neural tube defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida.

These severe Zoloft birth defects, which cause failed development of the brain and spine, can result in permanent brain damage, paralysis or even early death.

Zoloft Cranial & Facial Birth Defects

Studies published by the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants and New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 linked Zoloft to cranial defects like craniosynostosis, which can result in an infant with an irregularly shaped head.

Facial defects like cleft palates can also result from using defective drugs during pregnancy. These are gaps in facial features which do not completely form before birth.

Zoloft Abdominal Defects

Also in 2007, the New England Journal of Medicine and National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants published findings from studies showing infants of mothers taking SSRI drugs like Zoloft had an increased risk of omphalocele.

Omphalocele is a severe birth defect where the abdominal muscles do not develop properly, causing the intestines and liver to grow in a sac around the base of the umbilical cord. This birth defect often accompanies heart defects.

Zoloft Club Foot

The Institute of Reproductive Toxicology at the University of Ulm, Germany and the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University recently published studies also indicating a link between SSRI drugs like Zoloft and club foot in infants. This is a defect of the lower leg in which an infant’s foot develops in an inward-facing position.

If you took Zoloft and your child developed any birth defects, contact us today to learn your legal options. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions and get you help for your child.