A lawsuit was filed Nov. 4 on behalf of eight different couples who claim that Zoloft® caused their infants to suffer birth defects. The lawsuit names Pfizer, the manufacture of the antidepressant, as a defendant.
According to an article published in The Madison St. Clair Record, the plaintiffs allege that the only reason they took Zoloft® during their pregnancies is because they believed it was safe.
Some of the birth defects named in the lawsuit include heart defects, gastroschisis, omphalocele, craniosynostosis, neural tube defects, cleft lip, club foot, anal atresia and limb reduction defects.
“Pfizer knew or should have known that Zoloft® crosses the placenta, which could have important implications for the developing fetus,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims that Pfizer failed to adequately warn about the risks involved with taking Zoloft® while pregnant, even though it knew of the dangers.
Zoloft® belongs to a class of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs have been accused of increasing the risk of various birth defects in infants whose mothers take them while pregnant since 2005.
(Source: The Madison St. Clair Record)
If your baby is born with a birth defect and you took Zoloft® during your pregnancy because you thought it was safe, you might be eligible to pursue damages by filing a birth defect lawsuit. To learn more, please contact our birth defect lawyers today.