Lexapro® and Birth Defects

Lexapro® (escitalopram) is used to treat depression, major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. It is in a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs act on the brain to enable more serotonin — a mood enhancer — to be available to brain tissue. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guide warns that during the first few months of treatment on Lexapro®, as well as on other antidepressants, patients may experience increased thoughts of suicide or worsening depression. This is especially true in patients aged 24 and younger. Patients should speak with their physicians or call 911 if there is an immediate danger or if any of the following occur:

• Attempts to commit suicide
• Acting on dangerous impulses
• Acting aggressively or violently
• Having suicidal thoughts or thinking about dying
• New or worsening depression
• New or worsening anxiety or panic attacks
• Feelings of agitation, restlessness, anger, or irritability
• Feelings of mania (evidenced by increased activity or talking more than normal)
• Other unusual behavioral or mood changes

Before you take aspirin or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, you should talk with your doctor, because the combination of Lexapro® with these other drugs can lead to bruising and bleeding.

Birth Defects Associated with Lexapro® and SSRIs

In June 2006, the FDA issued a public health advisory, warning of the possibility of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in babies whose mothers took Lexapro® or other similar antidepressants during their pregnancies. PPHN is a condition of blood circulatory problems in the lungs and makes it difficult for the infant to get enough blood to the rest of the body.

The warning was published as a result of a study showing that the risk of PPHN was six times greater in infants born to mothers who took SSRIs after the 20th week of pregnancy compared to infants born to mothers who did not take the drugs.

The FDA listed the following as drugs belonging to the SSRI class:

• Celexa®
• Fluvoxamine
• Lexapro®
• Paxil®
• Prozac®
• Symbax®
• Zoloft®

In December 2005, the FDA also issued a warning regarding the antidepressant Paxil® and required the drug maker to reclassify the drug from Pregnancy Category C to Pregnancy Category D. The category D designation indicates that studies in pregnant women taking Paxil® have demonstrated an increased risk in heart defects in the fetus when the mothers took the drug in the first trimester of her pregnancy.

The heart defects were malformations in the septa (walls) dividing the chambers of the heart. The defects were mostly ventricular septal defects. These defects are commonly called holes in the heart.

Data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (studied infants born between 1997 and 2002), referred to in a June 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate that while further studies are needed to confirm the conclusions, SSRI use during pregnancy was associated with:

• Anencephaly (part of the brain and skull missing)
• Craniosynostosis (the suture of the skull close prematurely, causing a malformed skull and head)
• Omphalocele (the contents of the abdomen protrude through the navel, i.e., bellybutton)

Was Your Baby Born with a Birth Defect?

If you took Lexapro® or another SSRI during your pregnancy and your baby is born with a birth defect, you should consult a birth defect attorney about your right to compensation. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your baby's medical bills as well as his or her suffering.

To schedule a free review of your case, contact our birth defect attorneys today.