FREE CASE EVALUATIONS – FILL OUT FORM TO RIGHT OR CALL TOLL FREE: 1-800-632-1404
Wellbutrin is commonly prescribed to women who are or may become pregnant for several reasons, including as an antidepressant SSRI aid and as a smoking cessation pill. Regardless of the reason, women who take this drug may experience a greater than average risk of infant child birth defects, including but not limited to heart defects, cleft palate, cleft lip, skeletal deformations and more. If your child experienced such a horrific side effect, please call us today for a free case evaluation on how we can help.
The Problem
Our firm is offering free nationwide case evaluations to families whose children were diagnosed with medical conditions at birth or shortly therafter when the mother ingested Wellbutrin or Bupropion during pregnancy. Specific birth defects include cardiac malformations (ASD, VSD, Left Hypoplastic Heart Syndrome, coarctation of the aorta, Tricuspid or Pulmonary Atresia, Pulmonary Stenosis, transposition of the great vessels or any other heart defect), neural tube defect, craniosynostosis, cleft lip, cleft palate, skeletal deformations, and club foot.
About Wellbutrin
Wellbutrin is an antidepressant drug prescribed to treat major depressive disorder, also called major depression and clinical depression, and seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression involving adverse side effects that occur each year during the same season. First approved by the FDA in 1985, bupropion hydrochloride was available for several years only under the brand name Wellbutrin. In 1996, the FDA approved a sustained-release tablet of this drug called Wellbutrin SR and, in 2003, approved an extended-release tablet known as Wellbutrin XL.
Wellbutrin carries a Pregnancy Category C classification, meaning that animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus but that no adequate or well-controlled studies in humans have been performed.
Wellbutrin has been linked to congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects affect approximately 40,000 babies each year, and one of the primary known causes of such birth defects is the ingestion of teratogenic drugs during pregnancy. A teratogen is a drug or other substance capable of interfering with the development of a fetus that can ultimately result in serious birth defects.
Coarctation of the Aorta
Ingestion of Wellbutrin during pregnancy could cause coarctation of the aorta in your child. Coarctation of the aorta refers to the narrowing of the main artery from the heart. This is a congenital abnormality which has to be corrected surgically.
Coarctation of the aorta is associated with congenital anomalies of the mitral valve. The leaflets, chordae, papillary muscles, and the left ventricular wall are commonly involved. Clefts, perforations, and myxomatous changes may be present in the mitral valve leaflets, and leaflet tissue may be deficient. In addition, abnormally long or short chordae with poorly developed interchordal spaces may be seen. Furthermore, abnormalities of papillary muscle and endocardial fibroelastosis of the left ventricular wall are also sometimes present. These abnormalities frequently produce a murmur of mitral regurgitation.
Coarctation of the aorta often occurs as a discrete stenosis at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum, but it may be associated with proximal aortic hypoplasia. Usually associated with a bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta may also be associated with aneurysm of the circle of Willis, VSD, and Turner’s syndrome.
Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital condition in which the heart’s main artery narrows. The aorta carries blood from the heart to the vessels that supply the body with blood and nutrients. It is hard for blood to pass through the artery when part of the aorta is narrowed. So the baby’s heart has to work harder to allow the blood to pass through the artery. This makes the baby breathless and too tired.
While in some newborns the symptoms will appear within the first few days of birth, in some cases, especially milder ones, the symptoms will appear only at adolescence. The symptoms of coarctation of the aorta includes shortness of breath, chest pain, nose bleeding, hypertension, poor growth, fainting or dizziness, pounding headache, cold feet or legs, leg cramps and inability to exercise.
Such a condition may cause surgery, lifetime defects or death.
Getting Legal Help
If your child is born with a birth defect and you had been prescribed Wellbutrin during pregnancy, you may have a claim for compensation. You may be eligible for compensation for the medical expenses for the treatment of your child and also compensation for your mental sufferings.
If you or a loved one took Wellbutrin during early pregnancy and had a child born with a birth defect, this side effect may be associated with Wellbutrin. Members of our firm are currently reviewing potential Wellbutrin lawsuits. If you have a question or have suffered serious side effects, a Wellbutrin lawyer can be reached by email or by calling TOLL FREE 1-800-632-1404.
Members of our firm are attorneys currently representing clients who have taken several prescription drugs and claim injuries associated with those drugs, including Topamax®, Wellbutrin®, Fosamax®, and Actos®. They and members of the firm also represent clients across the globe pertaining to medical device failures, including theAdvanced Bionics HiRes90k® cochlear implant , the TVM / TVT transvaginal mesh – sling and the DePuy hip implant. For a free case evaluation, please contact:
TOLL FREE: 1-800-632-1404
EMAIL: click here
FILL OUT THIS FORM: