Celexa

Celexa is part of a class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are used to treat depression, and which are also used off-label to treat and manage conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder; anxiety; panic disorder; body dysmorphic disorder and OCD. The CDC estimated in 2012 that around 1 in 10 Americans aged 12 and up are on anti-depressants, with the majority taking SSRIs.

Unfortunately, Celexa and other SSRI medications have proven to cause unexpected complications and side effects for patients. While complications can include suicidal thoughts; difficulty healing after surgery and an irregular heartbeat, one of the most significant complications associated with Celexa is birth defects in infants. If you or a loved one has suffered from a birth defect due to the use of Celexa during pregnancy, it is important to contact an experienced Boston defective drug lawyer at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for help in understanding your legal rights.

Celexa has been linked to many different birth injuries and there is a significantly increased risk for many serious conditions. For example, when a mother takes Celexa during pregnant:

• The baby is around six times as likely to be born with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
• There is three times the risk of an infant developing Pulmonary atresia.
• There is a five times greater chance the baby will be born with a clubfoot.
• There is a two-and-a-half times greater risk of a fatal neural tube defect called anencephaly.
• There is a two-and-a-half times greater risk of a craniofacial defect called Craniosynostotis.
• The risk of two abdominal wall defects -- omphalocele and gastroschisis -- are between 30 percent and three times greater for an infant exposed to Celexa in the womb.
• There is a 60 percent increase in the risk of Spina Bifida.
• A baby has nearly double the risk of heart defects including an atrial septal defect; tetralogy of fallot; hypoplastic left or right heart syndrome; and a ventricular septal defect.

These are just a few of the many potential birth defects that can arise when a baby is exposed to Celexa in the mother’s womb during development. Studies in the New England Journal of Medicine as well as the British Medical Journal and the Journal of the American Medical Association are all among the professional medical publications that have all identified birth defect risks caused by Celexa and other SSRI drugs.

With so many potential birth defects resulting from Celexa use, it should come as no surprise that the FDA classifies the drug as Pregnancy Category C. This means animal studies suggest a potential increase in the risk of birth defects and that the drug should be taken during pregnancy only when risks outweigh benefits.

Birth defects can change life dramatically for a family and can cause a child to experience lifelong impairments. Manufacturers of dangerous drugs that cause birth defects need to be held accountable and victims need to be compensated if the drug caused unexpected side effects when used as intended. Injured victims aren’t required to prove negligence under strict liability rules, but must show a link between the medications they took and the medical harm that occurred.

An experienced Boston birth defects lawyer at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can help if you or a loved one took Celexa and birth defects resulted. Give us a call today to schedule a free case evaluation and learn how we can assist with your claim.