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Pregnant mothers taking anti-depressant drug Lexapro might have increased risk of child being born with persistent pulmonary hypertension.
Investigation Source
- Nationwide
Investigation Scope
Category Information
Investigation Topic
- Increased Risk of Bodily Injury
Product or Service
- Lexapro
Injury Type
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn
Investigation Details
Ongoing investigation against Forest Pharmacuticals for its drug Lexapro.
Lexapro is a prescribed for adults suffering from depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Lexapro is a member of the group of prescription drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Lexapro has been prescribed to over 18 million U.S. adults. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Christina Chambers of the University of California, San Diego, found a sixfold increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) in infants born to mothers who took an antidepressant in the last trimester of pregnancy. On July 19, 2006, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Lexapro and several other antidepressants based on this study.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), is a life-threatening disorder in which the newborn's arteries to the lungs remain constricted after delivery, limiting the amount of blood flow to the lungs and therefore the amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. Ten percent to 20 percent of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment. Indeed, since September 2005, information has been emerging that the antidepressant Paxil may cause birth defects, including cardiac (heart), pulmonary (lung), craniosynostosis (abnormally shaped skull) and infant omphalocele (abdominal wall defects).
This investigation examines whether or not other antidepressants, such as Lexapro, cause these birth defects as well. If you believe your child's birth defects or PPHN may be related to the use of Lexapro or other antidepressants during pregnancy, please contact us.
Do not change medications without first consulting your doctor
Lexapro is a prescribed for adults suffering from depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Lexapro is a member of the group of prescription drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Lexapro has been prescribed to over 18 million U.S. adults. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Christina Chambers of the University of California, San Diego, found a sixfold increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) in infants born to mothers who took an antidepressant in the last trimester of pregnancy. On July 19, 2006, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Lexapro and several other antidepressants based on this study.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), is a life-threatening disorder in which the newborn's arteries to the lungs remain constricted after delivery, limiting the amount of blood flow to the lungs and therefore the amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. Ten percent to 20 percent of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment. Indeed, since September 2005, information has been emerging that the antidepressant Paxil may cause birth defects, including cardiac (heart), pulmonary (lung), craniosynostosis (abnormally shaped skull) and infant omphalocele (abdominal wall defects).
This investigation examines whether or not other antidepressants, such as Lexapro, cause these birth defects as well. If you believe your child's birth defects or PPHN may be related to the use of Lexapro or other antidepressants during pregnancy, please contact us.
Do not change medications without first consulting your doctor
Defendant Details
| Name (Stock Symbol) | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| Forest Pharmecuticals, Inc. | Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc., manufactures, distributes, and sells Forest-branded ethical prescription products in the United States and Puerto Rico. |