Most Common Birth Defects – Paxil Injuries

Most Common Birth Defects Connected to Paxil Injuries

The most common birth defects in newborns are in the heart, spine, and brain. Some of the most common birth defects of the heart include atrial septal defect, which can manifest as a very small to a very large hole in the septum separating the left and right ventricles of the heart; smaller defects have less severe side effects and complications than do larger defects. This can be said about most common birth defects. The most common birth defects of the brain and spine occur in .001% of all pregnancies (one in one thousand), but are typically quite dangerous for the baby.

Paxil Injuries

The most common birth defects can be caused by genetic factors, nutritional factors, and environmental factors. Often, the most common birth defects are caused by substances ingested by the mother during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Certain foods, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and illegal drugs all have a potentially harmful impact on the crucial beginning stages of fetal development. Many heart and spine defects, for example, have been linked to use of the anti-depressant Paxil during pregnancy. The most common birth defects related to Paxil are cleft lip and palate and ventricle septal defect, but more severe Paxil side effects include Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) and Tetralogy of Fallot. While these are rare and not typically featured on the list of most common birth defects, they have a substantially greater occurrence in mothers who took Paxil while gestating. Most common birth defects are treatable through one or more surgeries, but treatment can be expensive for the most common birth defects caused by Paxil.

Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate birth defects occur when the both the right and left side of the upper lip and palate are “cleft,” or separated. Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate is the least common form of cleft lip and palate congenital defects. This results in clefts that appear below both the right and left nostril with some degree of a gap in the palate of the infant’s mouth. Most Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate can be repaired with multiple surgeries before the child reaches age five to ten, but speech therapy and many doctor visits are necessary to ensure a full recovery.

Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate initially inhibits the newborn’s feeding ability and breathing. Special bottle adapters or feeding tubes can be used if the infant is unable to latch onto the breast or bottle. Poor feeding during the first weeks and months of life can lead to malnourishment and a failure to thrive. In the following years, a baby with Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate requires regular check-ups for inner ear and nasal cavity infections in the unexposed cleft areas. Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate defects have been recently linked to mothers using the SSRI drug Paxil during the first twenty weeks of pregnancy. GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer, has recently begun paying out settlements to mothers who used Paxil while pregnant who also gave birth to a newborn with Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate and other congenital defects.

Cleft Palate Speech

Cleft Palate Speech problems frequently occur in patients with more severe cases of cleft palate. Speech therapy and corrective surgery are the most common form of treatment. However, special prosthetic devices have also been created to compensate for the cleft or imperfection left by the congenital birth defect. Children who are most likely to experience problems with their Cleft Palate Speech often have other defects like a cleft lip as well. With cleft palate speech is affected due to an enlarged opening between the mouth and nasal cavity and also the misshapen palates with which the tongue interacts during normal speech.

Therapy for Cleft Palate Speech is available for toddlers and adolescents who have had surgery to repair their cleft palates. About fifteen to twenty percent of patients experience cleft palate speech issues. Cleft Palate Speech complications due to a cleft palate or cleft lip birth defect have been linked to use of the drug Paxil during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to pregnant women taking the drug, especially during the first trimester, because it is now known to cause birth defects that can cause a number of problems including Cleft Palate Speech troubles.

Paxil Lawsuit

The Stenger Law Firm, LLC is currently filing Paxil Lawsuits on behalf of families whose children currently suffer or have suffered from any of the above mentioned injuries or death due to Paxil. Our attorneys can provide a free case evaluation to potentially file a Paxil Defects Lawsuit. Call The Stenger Law Firm, LLC at our toll free number today (888) 665-0077.

Please provide as much information as possible about your case. If you do not provide adequate case information, including injuries or damages sustained it may take us longer to process your inquiry.

There is no charge for this Paxil evaluation.