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The heartbreaking news of birth defects in children born to women treated with Effexor during their pregnancy has led many to question the safety of the antidepressant. Mothers who took the medication to prevent break down of their emotional health, which would have impacted the child in their womb, ended up giving birth to babies with life-threatening birth defects. An Arkansas woman took 150 mg of Effexor during her first pregnancy trimester. She gave birth to a baby girl with “a whole in her heart.” Now almost two years’ old, her daughter had irregular heartbeat and other cardiovascular complications that impacts her quality of life.
A 30-year-old mother from Mississippi took Effexor during pregnancy, and the antidepressant side effects caused her baby to almost die after birth. Her daughter was born like a “zombie,” not crying, and without heart beat for a moment. Now at 7 years, the child continues to remain sick and suffer from low immunity and mood swings.
Effexor Birth Defect Lawsuit: The Drug
Effexor was approved by FDA in 1993. It contains Venlafaxine, a SNRI-class antidepressant. It inhibits serotonin and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters that control human mood. Doctors widely prescribe the drug to those having obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia syndrome. The drug has become one of the most-prescribed antidepressants in the last two decades.
Effexor Birth Defect Research Studies
Consumers prefer Effexor over other SSRI antidepressants considering that it has fewer side effects. However, researchers are of the opinion that the drug used by pregnant woman may result in birth of infants with a range of deformities and defects. The following are a list of research studies that highlighted potential Effexor birth defects when taken by expectant mothers.
- Potential six-fold increase in the risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension, a fatal lung condition, when Effexor is used by women 20-weeks pregnant. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2006)
- Risk of infants born with physical defects when the antidepressant is used by expectant mothers during their third trimester. (British Medical Journal, Aug 2013)
- Two-fold increase in the risk of heart defects in babies born to mothers due to Effexor side effects during the prenatal stage. (British Medical Journal, 2009)
- Developmental delays in children because of exposure to Effexor side effects during pregnancy. (Pediatrics journal, Mar 2010)
Effexor Birth Defects
- Fatal heart defects and deformities
- Cranial deformities
- Underdeveloped brain
- Anus, vertebra, and neural tube defects
- Malformations in abdomen, foot, lip, palate, and other body parts
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Hypoplastic lungs
- Developmental and growth delays
- Septal and heart valve defects
Effexor Birth Defect Warnings
- The American Academy of Pediatrics warned doctors in 2012 against prescribing Effexor to pregnant women citing the risk of birth defects.
- Health Canada issued an advisory in 2006 cautioning women about birth defects in infants exposed to Effexor following the drug intake by their pregnant mothers.
Effexor Lawsuits: What Plaintiffs Say
All federal Effexor birth defect lawsuits centralized in a Pennsylvania district court for pretrial consolidation have sought strict liability claiming that the manufacturer failed in its responsibility to inform consumers about the Effexor birth defect side effects.
According to an Effexor birth defect lawsuit filed by a couple, their daughter was born with serious heart defects following use of the antidepressant by the mother while she was six-month pregnant. The child has to undergo a number of surgeries in the last four years, including three immediately after her birth. She now requires further surgeries in the future to treat her heart ailment. The Effexor birth defect lawsuit has also named the doctor, who advised the drug, as a defendant.
The story of another couple from Utah is heartbreaking. Effexor side effects during pregnancy caused the birth of their son with several deformities. The infant died a day after because of heart defects and severe respiratory distress.
Helping You
As lawyers that represent persons who have been injured by defective medical devices and prescription drugs, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your case with you. Our team of attorneys and support staff will review your potential case for free and will accept medical device and prescription drug cases on a contingency basis, meaning you do not owe us a fee if we do not recover monies for you by settlement or judgment.
If you or a loved one took Effexor and a child was born with birth defects,please fill out the form to the right or call us so that we can provide you with forms to evaluate your potential case immediately.
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