Evidence Strengthens Link Between SSRI Antidepressants and Congenital Birth Defects

zoloft_heart_birth_defect_ssri_pregnancyAccording to a European health care expert, pregnant women who take a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant early in pregnancy increase their child’s risk twofold of developing a heart defect. Professor Stephen Pilling of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently told the BBC that the birth defects risks associated with SSRI antidepressants are on par, if not more severe, than those linked to alcohol or tobacco use by pregnant women.

Pilling went on to state that the warnings communicated to pregnant women taking an SSRI antidepressant will soon be updated to include information about the strong link between SSRIs and birth defects. In Pilling’s opinion, the risk of heart defects outweighs, in some cases, the risk to the pregnant mother in terms of whether to discontinue use of an SSRI antidepressant in early pregnancy.

Carey Danis & Lowe is a national law firm with attorneys that represent women and their families in SSRI birth defects lawsuits. Our SSRI birth defects lawyers view Pilling’s statements as positive news for women and their families who claim that their child’s birth defects are the result of exposure to an SSRI antidepressant.

If you or someone you love took an SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy, and your baby developed a heart defect, such as a hole in the heart, or other congenital birth defects, contact an SSRI birth defects lawyer at Carey Danis & Lowe.

Call 800.721.2519, and share your case with us.