New Study Shows SSRI Use In Pregnancy Doubles Risk Of Pulmonary Hypertension In Infants

A new study published in the British Medical Journal has found that women who take SSRI antidepressants double their risk of having babies that develop persistent pulmonary hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition. If your child was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension, you may have a Texas SSRI birth defect claim.

Texas SSRI Birth Defect Claim: What is persistent pulmonary hypertension?

In Texas, persistent pulmonary hypertension in infants refers to high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. This condition develops in about one out of every 1,000 newborns. Babies with persistent pulmonary hypertension are unable to make the adjustment from breathing in the womb to breathing on their own. Oxygen deprivation from persistent pulmonary hypertension can lead to brain damage, organ failure, and even death. Unfortunately, about one out of every ten babies diagnosed with the condition dies.

In the past, persistent pulmonary hypertension was linked to smoking, obesity, and diabetes. The new study links persistent pulmonary hypertension in infants to the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy. The researchers at the Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden reviewed more than 1.6 million births that took place from 1996 to 2007 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Approximately 17,000 mothers took antidepressants only in early pregnancy, 32 of their babies suffered from persistent pulmonary hypertension. An additional 11,000 mothers took antidepressants in late pregnancy, 33 of their infants developed persistent pulmonary hypertension. After taking other factors into account, the authors of the study concluded that SSRI use during pregnancy doubles the risk of an infant developing this dangerous condition.

Texas SSRI Birth Defect Claim: What is the risk?

This is not the first warning that an SSRI can cause persistent pulmonary hypertension. An American study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension is six times greater in infants whose mother took SSRI antidepressants after the second semester. The results of this study caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning about the use of SSRIs during pregnancy. The warnings were revised in 2011 after other studies showed conflicting results. The new study by the Karolinska Institute is the most comprehensive study to date because it covers a large number of births.

SSRIs are the most prescribed class of antidepressant medications and include Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft. These medications are taken by about 1.5 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. Prescriptions of SSRIs rose from about seven million in 1997 to more than 23 million in 2010.

If you were prescribed an SSRI during pregnancy and your Texas baby was diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hypertension, you may be able to file a Texas SSRI birth defect claim on behalf of your child. To learn more, contact Texas SSRI birth defect attorney Kay Van Wey today at (214) 329-1350 or (800) 489-5082.

Texas SSRI birth defect lawyer Kay Van Wey has written a book to inform Texans about the risks of dangerous drugs. For more information about your rights, request a free copy of 7 Secrets the Pharmaceutical Industry Does NOT Want You to Know.

Don't hesitate to contact Kay Van Wey at (800)489-5082 for a free, no obligation consultation.

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