Erica Atkinson has filed a pharmaceutical lawsuit in Camden, New Jersey against Forest Research Inc., Forest Laboratories Inc. and Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc. for causing a deadly birth defect in her newborn.
The plaintiff’s daughter died of complications from atrioventricular canal defects, one of many congenital heart defects that can be caused by medication during pregnancy. The plaintiff had been prescribed Lexapro and Celexa while she was carrying her child.
What Birth Defects Does Lexapro Cause?
Lexapro is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. While these drugs may be helpful to some adults, they can cause serious birth defects in newborns. Lexapro is known to increase the risk for the following birth defects:
- Double the risk of heart defects, such as the atrioventricular canal defect from our news story.
- A greater than double the risk for craniosynostosis, a craniofacial defect.
- Triple the risk for omphalocele, a defect in the abdominal wall.
- A 60 percent increase for spina bifida.
- Anencephaly, which involves a missing portion of a baby’s brain, shows a 2.5 times increase for mothers taking Lexapro.
- Six times increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
Many other birth defects can also occur because of Lexapro and other similar SSRIs. If you think that a prescribed medication could be the source for your child’s birth defect, then you should consult an attorney that has experience taking on large pharmaceutical companies and healthcare facilities.
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Farrell & Patel – Birth Injury Lawyers
Source: http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/02/26/mom-has-options-for-suit-over-fatal-birth-defects.htm
