According to the findings of a new study, the use of certain antidepressant drugs during the later stages of pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of suffering bleeding side effects, with Effexor carrying the largest potential risk. In the study, published last week in the British Medical Journal, British researchers indicated that pregnant women who give birth while taking an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or non-SSRI antidepressant run a higher risk of experiencing postpartum hemorrhaging than women who don’t take the medications. The BMJ research is the latest in a series of studies suggesting that the use of antidepressants like Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac may result in dangerous complications for expecting mothers and their unborn children. If you believe you have been harmed by a potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drug, contact our experienced attorneys at Bandas Law Firm today.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGING RISK
Researchers involved in the study analyzed data on 106,000 pregnant women between the ages of 12 and 55 who were diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders, and split the women up into groups based on how long before delivery they were exposed to the antidepressants, if at all. According to their findings, women who took no antidepressants while pregnant had a 2.8% risk of bleeding problems after delivery. Women who took non-SSRI antidepressants at the time of delivery had a 3.8% risk of bleeding complications, while women who took an SSRI at the time of delivery had a 4.0% risk of bleeding complications. In addition, researchers found that Effexor carried the highest risk of postpartum hemorrhaging, putting women who took the drug in late pregnancy at nearly double the risk of bleeding complications, compared to women who took no antidepressants.
BIRTH DEFECTS LINKED TO ANTIDEPRESSANT USE IN PREGNANCY
The BMJ study is the latest to highlight concerns about the safety of taking certain medications – particularly antidepressants – during pregnancy. In addition to the potential risk of bleeding side effects for the mother, previous research has identified antidepressant use in pregnancy as a potential risk factor for the development of serious birth defects in children exposed to the drugs in utero. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory warning consumers about the side effects of antidepressants putting children at risk for serious injury, including a six-fold increased risk of a birth defect called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). According to antidepressant birth defect studies, the highest risk posed to an unborn child occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, before many women are even aware they are pregnant.
CONTACT OUR ATTORNEYS FOR LEGAL HELP
In response to mounting information about the risks of antidepressant medications, a number of families have filed product liability lawsuits against antidepressant drug makers in recent years, alleging that the manufacturing companies withheld information about the risks associated with taking the drugs during pregnancy. If you took Paxil, Effexor or another antidepressant drug while pregnant and your child was born with a life-altering birth defect, consult our product liability lawyers at Bandas Law Firm today for legal help. Our legal team has extensive experience protecting the rights of families harmed by potentially dangerous medications, and will work diligently to help you pursue the financial compensation you deserve for the resulting injuries, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
