Neural Tube Birth Defects, Spina Bifida Birth Defects, Cleft Lip and 
Palate Birth Defects, and other Birth Defects Are on The Rise As Many 
Pregnant Women Have Been Given Drugs That Increase the Risk That Their 
Children Will Suffer Birth Defects by Texas Birth Defect 
Lawyer and Texas Drug Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer 
A growing body of evidence indicates that    
  several drugs and medications, if used during pregnancy, may      
cause serious birth defects.  These drugs include 
Topamax, 
Depakote, and several selective      
serotonin-reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressants.       
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly      used as 
antidepressants. Drugs included in the SSRI class are      Prozac, 
Zoloft, Paxil, Symbyax, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor and      Lexapro. 
These drugs may cause birth   
   defects and developmental problems if taken during pregnancy.       
Some potential birth defects and developmental problems include 
     neural tube birth defects, 
spina bifida birth defects, heart defects, cleft palates, cleft      
lips, clubbed feet, as well as other malformations and      
developmental problems.  Many of these drugs have been strongly marketed by the drug      
companies and are commonly used to treat depression and other      
disorders. 
It is vitally important that mothers that have been placed on drugs while pregnant and that have had a child with a birth defect report the adverse event to their doctor and the FDA.  These reports will help prevent other families from suffering birth defects from defective drugs. For more information on Defective Drug Birth Defects Lawsuits, please feel free to follow the links in this blog post or contact 
Texas Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer to determine if a 
    drug you were on while pregnant might have caused a birth defect.
Neural Tube Birth Defects Include Birth Defects of the Brain and Spinal Cord 
The neural tube is the      embryonic structure that develops 
into the brain and spinal      cord. In most pregnant women, the neural 
tube normally folds inward and closes by the      28th day after 
conception. When the neural tube fails to close completely       or 
develop properly,      defects of the brain, spinal cord and vertebrae 
can result in       the child.  These neural tube birth      defects can
 result in death or serious nerve damage that can       cause permanent 
paralysis, disabilities, and severe health       problems. The two most 
common neural tube defects are spina       bifida and anencephaly.
Neural tube defects are serious birth defects 
caused by      incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord and/or 
their      protective coverings.  These brain and spinal cord birth     
 defects occur when the fetus' spine fails to close properly      during
 the early stages of pregnancy.
Spina Bifida Birth Defects Are the Most Common Neural Tube Defect and Affect About 1,500 New Born Children Each Year       
Spina bifida is the most common neural tube 
defect      and it is estimated that there are approximately 70,000 
people      in the United State living with spina bifida.  It is an all 
     too common birth defect in the United States affecting about      
approximately 1,500 new born babies each year. 
In a child that has a spina bifida birth     
 defect, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during      
the first month of pregnancy.  These children typically      suffer 
nerve damage from the birth defect that causes at least      some 
paralysis of the child's legs. Severe cases of spina bifida      can 
result in full or partial paralysis and other problems such      as 
hydrocephalus, bowel and bladder problems, and learning      
disabilities. 
There are several forms of spina bifida and  
    the birth defect can cause mild to severe health problems.       
Myelomeningocele spina bifida is the most severe form of spina      
bifida.  Myelomeningocele is where the spinal cord and      meninges 
protrude from a spinal opening.  In      myelomeningocele spina bifida 
cases, the new born child will      require surgery after birth to put 
the exposed nerves and cord      into the spinal canal.  Children with 
myelomingocele are at high risk of infection until the      back is 
closed surgically. In spite of surgery,  in these      myelomeningocele 
spina bifida cases, some nerve damage is      usually permanent and will
 include paralysis and bowel and      bladder problems.
      Depakote Spina Bifida Lawsuit 
Information 
The drug, Depakote, aka Depakote ER, 
Depakene, Depacon, Epival,       Dépakine Chrono,Valance, and divalproex
 sodium (USAN) is a       drug prescribed to treat seizures, migraine 
headaches, manic       episodes of bipolar disorder, major depressive 
disorder,       prevention of both manic and depressive phases of 
bipolar       disorder, epilepsy, chronic pain associated with 
neuropathy,       and migraine headaches. Further, with the increase in 
      pharmaceutical marketing off-label use of the drug has       
become more prevalent including       treatment of mild depression, the 
depressive stage of       bi-polar disorder, and chronic pain such as 
migraine       headaches.
Depakote has been 
linked to major birth       defects in children of women that were 
taking this drug.        According to a recent medical scientific study,
 women taking       Depakote had four times the risk of delivering a 
child with       major birth defects, compared to women taking other, 
similar       drugs.  The range of birth defects associated with 
Depakote is broad, however the report specifically cited       neural 
tube defects such as spina bifida. Neural tube       defects are birth 
defects that affect the brain and spinal       cord; spinal bifida is a 
defect affecting the spinal cord       that causes paralysis of the 
legs. There is no known cure.
In addition to spina bifida and neural       
tube birth defects, other birth       defects that may be caused by 
Depakote include cleft palate, cleft lip,       heart defects, limb and 
digital deformities, facial       dysmorphism, mental developmental 
delays, and (difficult)       genitourinary malformations.
 Topamax 
Birth Defect Lawsuit Information     
      
Topiramate
 (brand name Topamax)      is a anticonvulsant drug. It has been 
approved for the treatment      of epilepsy and migraines, but has been 
aggressively marketed      for many off-label uses including bipolar
      disorder, cluster headaches, eating disorders, obesity,      
fibromyalgia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),      
alcoholism, sleep disorders, sleep-eating disorders, infantile      
spasms, autism, periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants      
after an hypoxic-ischemic injury, essential tremor, bulimia      
nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation,      
idiopathic intracranial hypertension, neuropathic pain, and      cocaine
 dependence.  If you or a loved one have been taking      Topamax during
 pregnancy and had a child with a birth defect, it      is important to 
seek medical assistance.
The FDA recommends that "before 
starting      topiramate, pregnant women and women of childbearing 
potential      should discuss other treatment options with their health 
care      professional. Women taking topiramate should tell their health
      care professional immediately if they are planning to or become   
   pregnant. Patients taking topiramate should not stop taking it      
unless told to do so by their health care professional. Women      who 
become pregnant while taking topiramate should talk to their      health
 care professional about registering with the North      American 
Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, a group that      collects 
information about outcomes in infants born to women      treated with 
antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy." 
       
The      FDA has recently announced that Topiramate (brand name Topamax)      causes an
 increased risk of development of cleft      lip and/or cleft palate 
(oral clefts) in infants born to women      treated with Topamax 
(topiramate) during pregnancy. If you or a      loved one have been 
taking Topamax during pregnancy and had a      child with a birth 
defect, it is important to seek medical      assistance.