Wellbutrin is an antidepressant drug prescribed to treat depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and even in some cases to quit smoking. Wellbutrin is manufactured by drug giant GlaxoSmithKline.
If taken during pregnancy, Wellbutrin may result in severe birth defects in those infants. Women who were pregnant and took Wellbutrin may be at a higher risk of having children with congenital heart defects. According to a study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, unborn infants who were exposed to Wellbutrin early on in pregnancy may be more than twice as likely to be at risk of certain heart defects. Most of these congenital birth defects require surgery early in life to be corrected.
The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in 2006 which claims that women who take certain antidepressants during pregnancy have as much as a six-fold chance of having babies born with congenital birth defects such as persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), which is a possibly fatal defect of the lungs. Also, another study by The New England Journal of Medicine declared that women who take antidepressants during pregnancy may be more than twice as likely to bear infants with other intestinal and skull defects.
Wellbutrin Birth Defects
Some of the potential birth defects that may be caused by prenatal Wellbutrin use may include:
- Interrupted Aortic Arch (IAA) – Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare heart disorder that typically occurs along with ventricular septal defect (VSD), ductus arteriosus, or more rarely aortopulmonary window ortruncus arteriosus.
- Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) – Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) is a congenital birth defect affecting the aorta. Infants suffering from coarctation of the aorta (CoA) must deal with a narrowing of the passage through the aorta, largest blood vessel from the heart.
- Mitral Valve Stenosis (MVS) – Mitral valve stenosis (MVS) is a rare heart condition where the heart’s mitral valve is stenotic (narrowed).
- Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) – Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare birth defect, present at birth (congenital). In patients suffering from hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), the left portion of their heart is seriously underdeveloped.
- Aortic Valve Stenosis (AVS) – Aortic valve stenosis (AVS), also known simply as aortic stenosis occurs if the aortic valve in the heart becomes abnormally narrow.
Wellbutrin Birth Defects Lawsuit: Speak to an Attorney
Many new parents ask themselves what was the cause of my child’s birth defects? Did it happen during pregnancy? The antidepressant Wellbutrin may be linked to causing the development of birth defects in unborn babies, infants, and children when their mothers took antidepressants while pregnant.
Our law firm is handling individual birth defect lawsuits against drug and pharmaceutical companies and currently accepting new Wellbutrin cases across the nation. If your child was born with a birth injury that you believe may have been caused by taking an antidepressant like Wellbutrin during pregnancy, then you should contact our law firm as soon as possible for a free confidential review of your potential birth defect lawsuit case. All cases are handled on a Contingency Fee Basis (no attorney’s fees or expenses charged unless we recover for you.