Lexapro Lawsuits Allege Numerous Birth Defect Injuries

Lexapro lawsuits filed throughout the nation allege birth defects including omphalocele, PPHN, heart defects, autism, spina bifida and more. If you believe that you may have a Lexapro lawsuit, contact a Lexapro injury lawyer to discuss your situation and determine whether you might be entitled to compensation for your child’s injuries.

Possible Lexapro Birth Defects

According to Lexapro injury attorneys, the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) anti-depressant drug manufactured by Forest Laboratories may cause the following Lexapro birth defects:

• Omphalocele / Abdominal Birth Defects. Omphalocele is a developmental abdominal birth defect that causes an infant’s intestine or other abdominal organs to stick out of its belly button (navel).
• PPHN (Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn). PPHN refers to having difficulty breathing or experiencing other types of lung conditions. It is generally caused when taken during the third trimester. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has reported that the risk of a child developing PPHN is six times greater for women who take anti-depressant drugs during this time.
• Heart (cardiac) Cardiac. SSRI drugs such as Lexapro (escitalopram) can cause numerous cardiac type injuries such as septal defects, heart valve abnormalities, coarctation of the aorta, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA), transposition of the great arteries and Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The NEJM has reported that pregnant women who take SSRIs in their first trimester quadruple the risk of their babies experiencing a cardiac defect.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The Archives of General Psychiatry reported that pregnant women who took an SSRI antidepressant were twice as likely to give birth to a child with an autism spectrum disorder.
• Spina Bifida. Spina bifida occulta is a neural tube defect which occurs when a child’s spinal bones fail to close, but the spinal cord itself and the meninges – the system of membranes that envelopes the central nervous system – remain in place.

Are You Entitled To Lexapro Injury Compensation?

Most women who took Lexapro, Celexa  and other SSRI drugs while pregnant did not know the risks they were taking. In fact, a University of Pittsburgh study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center determined that out of half of a million women who were given an SSRI drug during pregnancy, approximately half of them did not know that these drugs could pose a risk to their unborn baby of suffering from a serious birth defect.

The fact remains that numerous birth defect studies have reported on the dangers of SSRI drugs taken during pregnancy. In addition, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) classifies Lexapro as a Pregnancy Category C – meaning that animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus. Unfortunately, many women often experience depression while pregnant – which means means more sales for manufacturers.

If you think that you might have a Lexapro lawsuit, contact an experienced Lexapro injury attorney who can help you determine whether filing a Lexapro injury lawsuit might be in your – and your child’s – best interests.