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Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) is an antidepressant made by Eli Lilly. It is the first drug in a class known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is taken by 54 million people in 90 countries. The medication is also prescribed for obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks and eating disorders.

Research studies have indicated a link between mothers taking Prozac® after the 24th week of their pregnancy and the occurrence of a life-threatening birth defect called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in the newborn. The condition occurs when the newborn's lungs fail to take on their responsibility of oxygenating their blood.

In July 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory warning that mothers who took Prozac® after the 24th week of their pregnancy were six times more likely to give birth to a baby with PPHN than mothers who took no antidepressants during their pregnancy

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN)

In the womb, the fetus receives oxygenated blood from its mother. The mother's blood reaches the fetus through the umbilical cord, which transports the blood from the placenta. When a baby is born, its lungs are supposed to then take over the essential work of supplying oxygen to the blood. In babies with PPHN, the lungs fail to work and the blood is not oxygenated.

When blood is not oxygenated, and thus it does not carry oxygen to the rest of the body's organs and tissues, these organs and tissues begin to fail and the newborn is at risk of dying. Between ten and twenty percent of these infants die.

Prozac® and Heart Birth Defect Risk

Prozac® also has been linked to a small risk of heart defects in the newborn. The most common birth defects of the newborn heart when the mothers took Prozac® are:

• atrial septal defects
• ventricular septal defects

These septal defects are flaws in the membranes that separate the chambers of the heart. The defects make the heart have to work harder to supply oxygenated blood to the infant's body.

Prozac® Birth Defects Lawsuits

Hundreds of Prozac® lawsuits are being filed against the manufacturer for these birth defects. Many mothers are unaware that this drug can have such drastic effects on their babies until it is too late. If you believe that your baby's birth defect may be related to Prozac® use, contact our attorneys for help.

Our Prozac® birth defect lawyers can evaluate your case free of charge to determine if you qualify to seek compensation.

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