Abnormal Fetal Head Growth a Possible Zoloft Birth Defect

A Dutch study published in March 2012 found that women who take SSRI antidepressant medications like Zoloft during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies with smaller head circumferences. This could be indicative of reduced brain growth as well as potential psychological or behavioral problems in the child’s future. This information may be used in Zoloft birth defects lawsuits, which more and more families across the country have been filing as it becomes clear how many children experience birth defects after Zoloft use by mothers during pregnancy.

Many women believed that use of Zoloft during pregnancy was safe until they gave birth to a child with side effects linked to Zoloft. Many of these women have contacted a Zoloft lawyer to find out if they are eligible to seek compensation for their newborn’s injuries by filing a birth defects lawsuit.

Zoloft birth defects lawsuit actions cite studies

This Dutch study was published in an online edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry. It comes after a number of previous studies which have shown an increased risk of birth defects in babies whose mothers took Zoloft or another SSRI antidepressant while they were pregnant. Zoloft persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (Zoloft PPHN), Zoloft heart defects, Zoloft clubfoot, and other Zoloft birth defects have been linked to use of the medication during pregnancy.

One report published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information states that, “between 20 and 30% of newborns exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) towards the end of gestation have disorders such as agitation, abnormal muscle tone and suction, seizures, and hyponatraemia.”

Such information is often used by plaintiffs who have filed a Zoloft lawsuit with the help of a Zoloft lawyer in the hopes of gaining damages from drug maker Pfizer.

Zoloft birth defects lawsuit plaintiffs increase nationwide

The Dutch study examined data from 7,700 births and found that women who had suffered from depression during pregnancy had babies with smaller head circumference at birth compared to women without the condition, which was true even when the depressed mothers had not taken SSRI antidepressants during their pregnancy.

But women who had taken SSRIs during pregnancy had less head circumference growth than women who didn’t take these medications. These babies were also more likely to be born preterm, or prematurely.

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