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Zoloft® is a member of the SSRI class of antidepressants. SSRI antidepressants have been potentially linked to a variety of birth defects including PPHN. If you or a loved one have taken Zoloft or any other drig and suffered injuries of any kind, we would like to hear from you.
SSRI Antidepressant Use and Potential Development of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) In February 2006 an article appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine titled “Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and Risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn.” This article was authored by seven credentialed individuals. The authors wrote that PPHN is associated with “substantial infant mortality and morbidity.” Page 579. The original article discusses how a previous cohort study suggested a potential association between the use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine late in the third trimester of pregnancy with the risk of PPHN in the mother’s baby. The authors performed a case-control study to assess whether PPHN may be associated with exposures to SSRI antidepressants late in pregnancy. The authors concluded that their data “support an association between the maternal use of SSRIs in late pregnancy and PPHN in the offspring; further study of this association is warranted. These findings should be taken into account in decisions as to whether to continue the use of SSRIs during pregnancy.” Page 579. Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, or PPHN, occurs in an estimated 1-2 babies per 1,000 live births. Despite treatment, 10 to 20 percent of babies with PPHN will not survive. Infants with PPHN usually are full term and near term infants with no associated congenital anomalies, yet they are born with severe respiratory failure that requires intubation and mechanical ventilation. It is thought that prenatal exposures contribute to the development of PPHN. At the time of the writing of the article published in Februrary, 2006, in The New England Journal of Medicine, few studies had been done on risk factors that may contribute to the development of PPHN. A previous study alerted the writers to the potential for a link between an SSRI and PPHN and the writers wanted to examine more carefully this possibility through their new study. The writers conducted their study within the Birth Defects Study of the Slone Epidemiology Center. The writers concluded that their large case-control epidemiologic study focusing on risk factors for PPHN “showed a significant association between exposure of a mother to an SSRI during late pregnancy and the occurrence of PPHN in her infant.” Page 584. Interestingly, the writers note, “The lung acts as a reservoir for antidepressant drugs, and substantial accumulation of SSRIs in the lungs has been reported. Serotonin not only has vasoconstrictive properties that increase pulmonary vascular resistance, but also has mitogenic and comitogenic effects on pulmonary smooth-muscle cells. Thus, higher circulating levels of serotonin in the fetus and accumulation of serotonin in the fetal lung might result in the proliferation of smooth-muscle cells that is characteristic of PPHN.” Page 585. Conclusion Doctors need to advise their pregnant patients of the potential risks of these drugs to their infants. Alternative treatments such as talk therapy and other forms of depression treatments that do not include the use of medications such as SSRI drugs may be chosen by some informed patients if they are aware of these risks. Never stop taking any medication without first consulting your licensed physician. The journal article quoted in this article can be found at N ENGL J MED 354;6 www.nejm.org February 9, 2006 In all personal injury cases, it is extremely important that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, to investigate the case in question, and to enable physicians, attorneys, or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries.
If you or a loved one or friend is injured and may have a potential legal claim, call DrugRxRecall and The Mulligan Law Firm now at 1-888-446-8087. The initial consultation is FREE of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires. Do not delay! A member of our firm will call you as soon as possible to help you determine the possibility of filing a potential claim. For a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced attorney regarding cases of personal injury and wrongful death, please submit our potential case intake form on this website for a free evaluation of your situation.
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