Zoloft Birth Defects

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Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) is a popular antidepressant medication that has been linked to a high number of extremely serious congenital birth defects in children when taken by expecting mothers in their first trimester of pregnancy. Birth defects linked to Zoloft include cardiac heart defects, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), neural-tube defects and infant omphalocele. At Schmidt & Clark, LLP, we represent families across the nation whose babies were born with birth defects after the mother took Zoloft while pregnant.

Zoloft Birth Defects Lawsuit Update 7/31/12: In what appears to be the latest in a string of similar complaints, a New York couple has filed a products liability lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer because their child was born with congenital heart defects after the mother took Zoloft (generic: sertraline) while pregnant. At least 137 other Zoloft birth defect lawsuits have been filed in federal courthouses throughout the country on behalf of children who suffer from health problems after being exposed to Zoloft in the womb. Click here to learn more.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 7/10/12: Attorneys involved in federal Zoloft birth defects lawsuits are set to meet with the judge overseeing the cases on Thursday, when they are expected to discuss the organizational structure of the newly-formed multidistrict litigation (MDL). All of the lawsuits involved in the MDL were brought on behalf of children who were born with severe birth defects after their mothers took Zoloft during pregnancy. Click here to learn more.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 5/17/12: The first conference in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Zoloft birth defects lawsuits has been scheduled to take place later this summer. The meeting’s agenda will consist of discussing the structure of the litigation and to determine whether or not the cases will be resolved or go to trial. Click here to learn more.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 4/20/12: A panel of federal judges has decided that all Zoloft birth defect legal claims filed against Pfizer on the federal level will be consolidated before one judge as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). The move affects nearly 100 lawsuits filed in a half dozen federal districts throughout the United States, as well as any new federal Zoloft birth defects cases filed in the future. Click here to learn more.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 3/13/12: The number of Zoloft birth defects lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country continues to grow, increasing the likelihood that a panel of judges set to convene later this month will consolidate the cases into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for pretrial proceedings. So far this year, more than a dozen new Zoloft birth defects lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer in at least eight different U.S. District Courts. Click here to learn more.

Free Zoloft Case Evaluation: If your child or other loved one was born with a congenital birth defect you feel may have been caused by Zoloft, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

What’s the problem?

Zoloft is a second generation antidepressant medication in a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Marketed and manufactured by Pfizer, Zoloft was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991 for the treatment of a variety of disorders which range from depression and social anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. SSRIs like Zoloft selectively affect serotonin – one of many chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters – that pass messages between nerve cells. This is thought to regulate the part of the brain that involves the mood. Generic sertraline tablets are made by Ivax Pharmaceuticals, and generic sertraline hydrochloride oral concentrate is made by Roxane Laboratories.

Antidepressant medications like Zoloft typically represent the first line of treatment for most types of depression. Zoloft can help relieve your symptoms and keep you feeling your best, but there’s more to the story when you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Here’s what you need to know about Zoloft and pregnancy.

Side Effects of Zoloft

Use of Zoloft during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health problems for babies including:

• Atrial Septal Defects (ASD)
• Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD)
• Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
• Tricuspid Valve (Ebstein’s Anomaly)
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)
• Transposition of the Great Vessels (TGV)
• Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
• Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS)
• Tricuspid Atresia
• Aortic Stenosis
• Pulmonary Atresia (PA)
• Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
• Coarctation of the Aorta
• Truncus Arteriosus
• Tricuspid Valve Stenosis
• Heart Murmur
• Pulmonary Stenosis
• Gastroschisis – abdominal wall defect
• Esophageal Stenosis
• Clubfoot
• Anal Atresia
• Spina Bifida

The risk of birth defects is so great that Pfizer – the manufacturer of Zoloft - has warned doctors, “The safety of Zoloft during pregnancy and lactation has not been established and therefore, it should not be used in women of childbearing potential or nursing mothers, unless, in the opinion of the physician, the potential benefits to the patient outweigh the possible hazards to the fetus.”

Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects

In addition to Zoloft, other antidepressant medications linked to these birth defects include:

• Paxil (Paroxetine)
• Zoloft (Sertraline)
• Celexa (Citalopram)
• Prozac (Fluoxetine)
• Lexapro (Escitalopram)
• Symbyax (fluoxetine and olanzapine)
• Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
• Effexor (Venlafaxine)

At Schmidt & Clark, LLP, we represent families across the country whose babies were born with birth defects after the mother took Zoloft while pregnant. Our experienced legal team has the skills you need when pursuing a Zoloft birth defects lawsuit. If you took Zoloft or other antidepressant medication while pregnant and gave birth to a child with a serious birth defect, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

Do I have a Zoloft Lawsuit?

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