Paxil® is a widely-prescribed antidepressant manufactured and distributed by GlaxoSmithKline.  It is in the class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, and is used to treat depression, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.

On September 27, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration warned that Paxil® may increase the risk of birth defects if pregnant women take it during the first trimester. The FDA had ordered Glaxo to conduct a study on Paxil, also known as paroxetine, to see whether its use during the first trimester of pregnancy carried an undue risk of major congenital malformations.  The study found a 4 percent incidence of birth defects in those taking Paxil® versus a 2 percent incidence in those taking other antidepressants.  The majority of the malformations involved ventricular septal defects - holes in the wall of the heart that separates its right and left ventricles.
Most babies born with this condition have small holes in their heart that close as they age.  Where the hole is too large, however, congestive heart failure can result.  These children may need medicine, such as digitalis (digoxin) and diuretics, or even surgery to relieve this very serious condition.

The Ferraro Law Firm made legal history as the first and only law firm to successfully prosecute a lawsuit where a child was born with birth defects after our client’s exposure to a chemical. The case of Castillo v. DuPont alleged that our pregnant client’s exposure to DuPont’s best selling fungicide Benlate caused her son to be born without eyes. Before the trial, firm founder James Ferraro participated in three years of discovery, including 63 depositions, and battled more than 60 pretrial motions Court TV covered the trial. In the end, a Florida jury held DuPont accountable and rendered judgment in the family’s favor for $4 million. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the verdict. Since then The Ferraro Law Firm has filed 12 lawsuits for other children born with severe eye defects.

If you or someone you love took Paxil® during early pregnancy and has a young child who has ventricular septal defects, you should seek the counsel of a qualified legal expert.  Click here for a FREE confidential case evaluation.