Celexa Lawsuits Birth Defects
Did you use Celexa while you were pregnant? If your baby was born with a birth defect after being exposed to Celexa during pregnancy, you should know about increasing concerns about the drug’s effect on babies and the latest news on Celexa lawsuits birth defects currently being filed by families throughout the United States.
What is Celexa?
Celexa is an antidepressant with the generic name of Citalopram. It was approved by the FDA in 1998, and is prescribed for depression and a variety of anxiety disorders. It is a type of drug known as a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, or SSRI. SSRIs work by increasing the amount of the natural chemical, serotonin, available in the brain.
Researchers believe that depression may be caused by a chemical imbalance of serotonin, and think that by restoring this balance, feelings of depression may ease. Celexa helps block the amount of serotonin that is reabsorbed in the brain (reuptake inhibitor). This makes it easier for the brain cells to transmit messages.
Concerns about Celexa
Although Celexa did prove effective in helping patients with depression and anxiety, new studies raised concerns about the drug and the entire class of SSRIs. First, the FDA became concerned that children and young adults taking SSRIs were at a higher risk for thoughts of suicide and suicidal behavior.
Still other side effects became known. Studies indicated that pregnant women who took Celexa and other SSRIs were at a higher risk for having babies with a variety of mild to severe Celexa birth defects.
One of the most serious birth defects is Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, or PPHN. This life-threatening breathing condition occurs when the baby’s circulatory system does not automatically adapt to breathing air upon birth. Without intense medical intervention, this condition is fatal. As a result, the FDA issued a warning about the increased dangers of taking SSRIs during the third trimester.
Other conditions have become associated with taking Celexa and other SSRIs during early pregnancy as well. Babies exposed to these drugs before birth have a higher risk of craniosynostosis, which affects the development of the skull. They may have heart defects, such as atrial or ventricular septal defects. They may also have neural tube defects, including Spina bifida and anencephaly.
Causes of Celexa Birth Defects
Scientists don’t know exactly why the use of Celexa and other SSRIs impacts the risk of birth defects. It may be because scientists don’t know everything about how serotonin affects other systems in the body, and how a change in the amount of serotonin in the brain could have an impact in other areas. In animal testing, SSRIs have shown negative effects on the animal fetuses—enough so that the FDA has given Celexa and many other SSRIs a Pregnancy Category C rating, which means that although the drugs have not been tested on humans, animal testing indicates that there is harm.
If you took Celexa during pregnancy and your child was born with a birth defect, you may be eligible for compensation. We are investigating lawsuits for families whose babies have been affected by Celexa, and we invite you to contact us for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your legal options including being part of a Celexa lawsuits birth defects claim.