The Lexapro birth defect connection

There's no doubt that antidepressants can benefit those suffering from serious anxiety issues or clinical depression.

However, a number of studies have linked antidepressants that are part of a group of drugs called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors - or SSRIs - including Lexapro and Celexa, with serious newborn birth defects.

For instance, in 2009, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that women who take SSRIs during the second half of their pregnancy were six times more likely to have a baby with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in the Newborn than those who did not take SSRIs late in their pregnancies.

Following the release of the study, the Food and Drug Administration issued a Health Advisory alerting women to the risks associated with SSRIs and pregnancy.
Other Lexapro side effects include cleft palate or lip and unusual head shape.

These types of side effects have led a number of people to file lawsuits against Forest Laboratories, the maker of Lexapro and Celexa.

The Lexapro/Celexa Products Liability Litigation trial will get underway in Missouri in May 2014.

Meanwhile, Professor Stephen Pilling, an advisor to Scotland's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, says that the use of antidepressants to treat mild to moderate depression is not a risk worth taking.