Paxil is a medication manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline-Kline which was prescribed to treat major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Paxil was the first anti-depressant approved in the United States for treatment of panic attacks.
In 2005, information began to emerge indicating that Paxil may cause birth defects in children. Pregnant women who took Paxil during early pregancy may have children born with defects that include congenital heart defects, pulmonary or lung problems, neural-tube defects, brain and spinal cord issues, craniosynostosis or abnormally shaped skull issues, infant omphalocele or abdominal wall defect issues, club foot or anal atresia.
According to a study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, fetuses exposed to Paxil during early pregnancy are more than twice as likely to be at risk for heart defects. In 2006, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that women taking anti-depressants have six times the risk of infants developing persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn (PPHN), a potentially fatal lung defect. Further, a 2007 study in the same journal showed that women taking anti-depressants prenatally are more than twice as likely to have infants with skull and intestinal deformities.
If you or a loved one took Paxil while pregnant and had a child born with any of the birth defects described above, please contact our Texas Paxil Attorneys immediately to discuss your legal options.
