Arkansas Birth Defects
Women who are pregnant have difficult choices to make when considering the health of their baby. One of these decisions involves taking certain medications during pregnancy. Depression can be a condition that is treated successfully with medication such as Zoloft; however, when taken during pregnancy, it has been shown to cause serious birth defects in the child. Attorney Group for Arkansas wants to inform you of your choices as you consider what action to take if you or someone you know has a child with birth defects as a result of taking Zoloft.
Unfortunately, Arkansas birth defects are a somewhat common occurrence in the state. A baby is born every 24 minutes in Arkansas, and every 5 hours a baby in Arkansas is born with a birth defect. Attorneys affiliated with Attorney Group for Arkansas are working towards finding out how many of these Arkansas birth defects are caused by taking antidepressants during pregnancy.
How Does Zoloft Play Into This?
Zoloft, or sertraline, is the center of the controversy. It works as an antidepressant by inhibiting serotonin. There are other antidepressants on the market, but it is interesting to note that the other antidepressants on the market that also inhibit serotonin, such as Prozac and Lexapro, were not found to cause significant or increased birth defects. In one comparative study of 10,000 infants born with birth defects and 6,000 healthy babies, women who took Zoloft in the first few months of pregnancy were more than twice as likely of having a baby with a birth defect.
The types of birth defects that result from taking Zoloft vary. Several heart defects are common. Other defects include brain and skull malformations and organ displacement. Sometimes the abdominal organs are protruding through the navel, are missing, or are outside the body at birth. Limbs may not be formed correctly, and a club foot is a common defect.
Pregnant women who are diagnosed with depression have to make a choice between continuing to take the antidepressant Zoloft and risking a potentially fatal birth defect, and stopping the medication and risking a relapse of depression. Women who are depressed during pregnancy often do not eat well, are at risk of a miscarriage, and frequently will deliver a premature, underweight, baby. The drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, is currently not required to inform consumers of the horrific risks of taking this medication during pregnancy. In Arkansas, a drug’s manufacturer may be held liable for injury caused by its product if no warning of the dangers of the drug or information on its potential side effects is given to the patient.
Doctors will frequently recommend psychotherapy as an alternative to Zoloft and other antidepressants during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects in the child and to attempt to maintain a healthy mind and body for the mother. Even so, the attorneys at Attorney Group for Arkansas recognize the serious impact this drug may have on Arkansas birth defects, and of taking this drug during pregnancy. Their attorneys have paid close attention to the results and evidence of the studies of Zoloft, and are ready to assist you in seeking compensation for the medical bills and suffering that you have experienced due to one or more Arkansas birth defects. If you are a victim of Arkansas birth defects, consider allowing these attorneys to address your legal concerns.
The attorneys at Attorney Group for Arkansas are familiar with litigation of this nature. Given the number of Arkansas birth defects, potentially from taking antidepressants, these attorneys are ready to answer any legal questions and to help you pursue compensation. So contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today.
