Were You Prescribed Lexapro While Pregnant?
Lexapro is an FDA-approved antidepressant used to treat various anxiety disorders, such as major depressive disorder, panic disorder, society anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Introduced to the market in 2001, this medication was developed by Lundbeck and Forrest Laboratories. Many people have taken Lexapro to treat depression and anxiety. While Lexapro may have helped their depression symptoms, some women who took Lexapro during pregnancy faced the heartbreaking side effect of having a baby born with severe birth injuries.
Is Lexapro Dangerous?
Lexapro is classified as an FDA pregnancy category C drug, meaning that it may carry risks to unborn baby of the mother taking the drug. While the medication carries a warning label, it still has the great potential to harm fetuses. A woman who may not yet realize that she is pregnant will continue to take her antidepressant during the crucial first few weeks of her pregnancy. During this early stage of pregnancy, the baby’s organs are beginning to form, and can be seriously impacted by the presence of Lexapro in the mother’s body. Lexapro is also dangerous for nursing mothers, because it can be passed on through breast milk to an infant.
Many babies born to mothers who have taken Lexapro during the second half of a pregnancy suffer from a dangerous condition known as Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN). PPHN constricts arteries in the lungs, causing extremely high blood pressure. During pregnancy, the mother’s body provides oxygen for the baby. After birth, the baby’s blood cannot flow as it should through the lungs, where it would collect life-sustaining oxygen to transport throughout the rest of the body. Because the blood isn’t carrying as much oxygen as it should, the organs become starved for oxygen, and the baby can go into shock or even die. Even though doctors can usually diagnose this condition within hours of birth, PPHN can cause heart failure, brain hemorrhage, seizures, organ damage, and death.
If you or a loved one has taken Lexapro and then given birth to a baby suffering from PPHN or any other birth injuries, we invite you to fill out our online case form.
How Do I Know if Lexapro Harmed My Baby?
When babies are born with PPHN, they show symptoms that may include:
• rapid breathing
• rapid pulse
• difficulty breathing
• bluish skin
Even with rapid treatment, the outlook is not always good for infants suffering from Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn. There may be lasting effects including seizures, developmental delays and disorders, hearing loss, and difficulty breathing. Many children who suffer from PPHN will require a lung transplant, and about 10 to 20% of the infants will not survive.
If your baby is suffering from a birth injury caused by your use of Lexapro, the drug’s manufacturer maybe liable for the pain and suffering its product caused you and your baby. If you believe that your baby may have suffered a birth injury caused by Lexapro, call (800) 318-6316 today for a free evaluation of your case.
What Can I Do if I Think My Baby May Have a Birth Injury Caused by Lexapro?
Contact the Lexapro personal injury attorneys at Goldberg & Osborne immediately at (800) 318-6316 or enter information into our online case form. There are no fees or costs until your case settles!
We have been representing individuals just like you in personal injury cases for 23 years, and our experienced attorneys are ready to take on pharmaceutical companies on your behalf. Don’t delay. States have established statutes of limitations for these sorts of personal injury cases, and you need to make sure that you get your case filed before time runs out.
We will be your advocates in getting you the compensation you deserve!
