Paxil Lawsuit Pregnancy
A developing fetus is an incredibly fragile thing. Today’s research and ways of imaging fetuses and testing them in utero have shown us a lot more than we used to know about how a mother’s environment and choices affect her developing child. We know now that alcohol used throughout the pregnancy can cause behavioral problems in toddlers and children. We also know that smoking late in the pregnancy can cause low birth weight and a host of other problems, and even that babies whose mothers didn’t eat well during pregnancy are more likely to struggle with obesity later in life. If your family has been affected by Paxil birth defects please contact us for a free no-obligation Paxil lawsuit pregnancy consultation.
Almost any nutrient or chemical that can get through the natural filter between mother and child can affect a baby negatively or positively. Because we live in such a medication and chemical filled world today, we are just starting to realize what effects our choices of medications can have on our growing children. One such medication that can have terrible side effects for developing babies is Paxil, an antidepressant medication not recommended for pregnant women but often prescribed for them anyways.
What Does Paxil Do?
Paxil is a medication that falls into the category of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is the chemical in your brain that causes sensations of well-being and happiness. It is released, at certain times, into the spaces between your brain’s neurons, the synapses. The chemical has an almost immediate effect, but it is almost immediately reabsorbed by the neuron.
While causes of depression are still really unknown, we do know that depressed people can often feel better if this reuptake process is slowed somewhat. If serotonin is given a chance to sit between the synapses for longer, depressed people may feel better. Paxil and other reuptake inhibitors may work very well for the chronically depressed, but they can definitely harm developing babies.
How Paxil Affects Babies
Paxil birth defects are still being studied, but it’s clear that the when the medication is used by pregnant women, particularly during their first and third trimesters, it can be incredibly harmful to developing children. One theory is that serotonin in a developing baby’s brain, a brain which is already beginning to form during the first trimester, helps to develop things like vision, thought, and memory. By disrupting the natural serotonin reuptake process, Paxil side effects may cause a child to be depressed and sad more often than other children, as well as to develop more slowly.
Besides these developmental problems, though, Paxil birth defects can be much more severe. It is difficult to understand why, but this drug can cause cranial and heart defects in developing babies. It is also likely to cause babies to have PPHN, a potentially fatal disorder that causes the heart to function improperly at birth.
If you or a family member has developed Paxil birth defects or Paxil PPHN, it may be time to look into your legal options including a Paxil lawsuit. Many people have argued that the manufacturer of this drug did not adequately warn doctors and pregnant women of its risks for unborn children.