Celexa Lawsuits Birth Defects

Was your baby born with a structural birth defect such as craniosynostosis, a septal heart defect or Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn? If you took the antidepressant Celexa during pregnancy, your medication may have impacted your child’s condition. Please contact us for the latest Celexa lawsuits birth defects news and filing deadlines.

Celexa and Depression

Depression is a pervasive condition in the United States, affecting 15 million adults alone. Many people seek and find relief in a number of different treatments including lifestyle changes, psychological counseling and medication.

Celexa is a medication prescribed to treat depression and other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. The drug is a type called a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) and it works by targeting the chemical serotonin, which is found in the brain. Celexa and other similar SSRIs like Zoloft, Prozac and Lexapro, work by increasing the amount of serotonin available in the brain, which is intended to help make it easier for the neurotransmitters in the brain to send signals to each other. Scientists believe that when not enough serotonin is available or when an imbalance exists, it affects mood and can be instrumental in depression.

Pregnant Women and Celexa Birth Defects

When women are pregnant, they are often warned to be careful of the medicines they take because those medicines can reach the fetus through the maternal bloodstream. But for women who are depressed and pregnant, doctors often believed that it is better for both the mother and the baby to continue to treat the depression with medicine, if necessary, rather than allow the condition to go untreated. Pregnant women who are depressed may be less likely to maintain proper pre-natal care, and are more likely to engage in risky coping behavior, such as drinking alcohol or taking drugs. In addition, babies who are born to mothers with untreated depression face a higher risk of premature birth and low-birth weight, which can lead to long-term developmental complications.

For years, doctors have continued to prescribe Celexa and other SSRIs during pregnancy, but new research links these drugs to an increased risk of a variety of birth defects.

Studies showed that when women used these antidepressants, their babies were more likely to be born with an abnormality in the development of the skull, heart, abdomen, limbs or circulatory system. These birth defects can range from mild to life threatening.

If your child was born with a birth defect and was exposed to Celexa or other SSRI before birth, the antidepressant may be to blame. Many families whose babies were born with Celexa birth defects are pursuing lawsuits to hold the makers of these dangerous drugs accountable for the pain and injuries their children have endured. To learn more about your legal options, please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. There is a limited time for filing Celexa lawsuits birth defects claims. Please contact us at your earliest convenience.