Nature of Paxil as an antidepressant belies birth defects to come

Many pregnant women suffer depression, and many turn to antidepressant drugs for help. But those who try Paxil risk a serious side effect, since Paxil can cause birth defects in their child, even while easing the mother-to-be’s depression.

The worst time that an expectant mother can take defective drug Paxil is during the first trimester -- or the first three months -- of her pregnancy. Paxil is more likely to cause debilitating Paxil birth defects when taken at that time.

That doesn’t mean Paxil can’t or won’t help a pregnant woman with her depression. It still can get that job done, essentially by restoring her body’s balance of serotonin. That substance, located in the brain, has a bearing on mood disorders.

Paxil achieves this by providing a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. In Paxil’s case, that means paroxetine hydrochloride.

Besides depression, Paxil may be utilized as well to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety problems, obsessive-compulsive disorders and other related conditions.

But for pregnant women needing Paxil as an antidepressant, the trade-off in lowering  their depression can be a horrendous birth defect injury in the unborn child. This may be a brain, heart, spinal cord or lung injury requiring surgery or even repeated surgeries to give the child a chance to lead a normal life. And all this may be caused by taking the wrong antidepressant, Paxil, during pregnancy.

For  experienced legal help, submit the free case review form on this Web page, or telephone toll-free to 1-800-344-9966. You will get a prompt response from our legal team’s professionals to help you assess your prospects for a successful Paxil lawsuit.

Meanwhile, feel free to explore the many and varied Paxil birth defects via the detailed articles on our Paxil Birth Defects Injuries page. You may be surprised at what you learn.