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.
