2013 SSRI Birth Defect Allegation Claims Now Being Reviewed by Resource4thePeople
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 08, 2013 -- http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/SSRI-Birth-Defects.html
Resource4thePeople announced today that its national team of lawyers is now accepting 2013 claims from consumers who are alleging that their children may have suffered birth defects as a result of the use of a popular class of antidepressants.
“Our national network of lawyers will be offering complimentary consultations to cases involving these allegations known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) running through 2013,” said Resource4thePeople.
“They will be reviewing claims involving alleged side effects from these medications, which have been the subject of health concerns from government regulators dating back to 2006.”
Resource4thePeople said that an increasing number of consumers have been inquiring about the legal rights to which they may be entitled involving these medications, the newest class of anti-depressants.
Among the claims being reviewed by Resource4thePeople attorneys are that women who used SSRIs to treat depression while pregnant were allegedly put at increased risk of giving birth to an infant suffering from alleged birth defects such as cleft palate, club foot, spina bifida and heart and abdominal defects.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a 2006 Public Health Advisory* that the agency later updated in 2011 that raises serious concerns about the effects on children born to mothers who used these medications during their pregnancies,” said Resource4thePeople.
“In response to questions from consumers about the time period of eligibility to file a claim we are assuring them that these consultations can provide the information they need to determine their eligibility to file a claim.”
SSRI anti-depressants are sold under various brand and generic drug names such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa and Depakote and are described by The National Institute of Mental Health as the most popular antidepressants prescribed in the United States.**
However, as the FDA warned in its 2011 update*** the agency cannot say for sure whether the use of SSRIs during a pregnancy puts a mother at greater risk of giving birth to a child suffering the life-threatening medical condition known as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
"The uncertainty over the safety of SSRIs has generated confusion over what compensation families may seek because they had children allegedly suffering from birth defects caused by these drugs," said Resource4thePeople.
"Our national network of attorneys is now reviewing these cases and is offering these complimentary consultations to these families to provide them with informed reviews of what legal options may be available to them."
One of the medications -- Zoloft -- is the subject of numerous lawsuits claiming that children born to mothers who took the SSRI during pregnancies suffered alleged birth defects that they have been consolidated before a single federal court judge.****
The multidistrict litigation is being coordinated under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The multidistrict litigation – which involves consolidation of hundreds of cases from across the country, according to the court file – was designated to improve judicial efficiency and avoid duplications because the cases involve similar allegations against common defendants.
The judge has scheduled bellwether trials in the litigation to begin in October of 2014, according to the court file.
Resource4thePeople also notes that that the court file in the litigation shows that there are now over 300 cases consolidated by the federal court system in the litigation.
Resource4thePeople also is announcing that as this litigation moves forward its nationwide team of attorneys will continue to review claims from consumers who are alleging their children may have suffered birth defects caused by the mother's use of Zoloft or other SSRIs.
"A common question we have been receiving from consumers involves the question of how their legal rights may be affected by the progress of this litigation,” said Resource4thePeople.
“Every case is different but we are continuing to offer free consultations to consumers to help provide them the information they need to preserve all of their legal options over allegations involving the use of SSRIs.”
These consultations can provide legal options about whether such families may be eligible to seek compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering and other expenses that may stem from these circumstances.
Resource4thePeople also is bringing to the attention of SSRI users new medical research data that raises concerns about whether the anti-depressants may also put patients at increased risk of suffering heart arrhythmia.
These concerns are detailed in published reports of a medical research study in the Jan. 29, 2013 British Medical Journal.*****
According to the study, the SSRIs citalopram (brand name Celexa) and escitalopram (brand name Lexapro) “trigger a disturbance in QT interval (the duration of electrical activity of the heart muscle) heart rhythms.”
The medical research report's lead study author Dr. Roy Perlis and his colleagues “confirmed through analysis a slight but significant QT prolongation with higher doses of citalopram,” saying that “although some QT variation is normal, a longer interval can upset timing of the heartbeat and lead to dizziness, fainting, and depending on severity, sudden death.”
The researchers also reported that citalopram, escitalopram, and amitriptyline were associated with prolongation of corrected QT interval, which is a marker of increased ventricular arrhythmia risk.
SOURCES:
*http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/PublicHealthAdvisories/ucm124348.htm
**http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/index.shtml
***http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm283375.htm
****In Re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation - MDL 2342, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
*****http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f288
Bill Callahan, iLawSuit, 858 602-2749, [email protected]
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