Paxil® & Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)

Paxil has been linked in a recent study to the development of serious life-threatening side effect called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, which is alsocommonly referred to as PPHN.

The results of the study have shown that babies born to mothers who took Paxil were 6 times as likely to develop Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), than babies born to mothers who did not take Paxil during pregnancy.

If you or a loved one took Paxil during pregnancy, and your baby was born with PPHN, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.

SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit Update: Our firm is now also accepting birth defect cases involving the following SSRI antidepressants: Celexa, Fluvoxamine, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Symbyax, and Zoloft.

Watch the FDA Video: SSRI Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects

What is Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn?

PPHN is sometimes also referred to as any of the following:

• Persistent pulmonary vascular obstruction
• Persistent fetal circulation
• Pulmonary vasospasm
• Neonatal pulmonary ischemia
• Persistent transitional circulation

PPHN occurs when a newborn’s circulation system does not adapt to breathing outside the womb. While a fetus is in the womb, it gets its oxygen from its mother’s placenta through the umbilical cords, so the lungs need little blood supply. There is high blood pressure in the lungs, so blood in the pulmonary artery is sent away from the lungs to the other organs through a fetal blood vessel, called the ductus arteriosus.

When a baby is born and takes its first breaths, the blood pressure in their lungs falls and there is an increased blood flow to the lungs, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. The blood is then returned to the heart and pumped back out to the body. The ductus arteriosus constricts and permanently closes in the first day of life. However, in babies with PPHN, the pressure in the lungs remains high and the ductus arterious remains open, allowing blood to be directed away from the lungs.

PPHN is a rare, but life-threatening condition. It occurs most often in full-term or post-term babies who have had a difficult birth, or conditions such as infection or birth asphyxia, in which a baby receives an inadequate amount of oxygen during delivery.

Do I have a Paxil Lawsuit?

The Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Paxil lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Paxil birth defect cases in all 50 states.

If you or a loved one took Paxil during pregnancy, and your baby was born with PPHN, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and we can help.