Depression during pregnancy, also known as peripartum depression or prepartum depression, affects around ten percent of women in the United States. While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (“SSRIs,” a form of antidepressants) can help mothers mitigate these symptoms, medical studies dating back to 2013 have found serious risks. Many depression medication manufacturers have recently added the possibility of postpartum hemorrhaging to their list of side-effects. This delay is quite grave, as post-partum hemorrhaging is a leading cause of death in childbirth.
If you or your spouse recently experienced postpartum hemorrhaging after taking an SSRI during the third trimester, the antidepressants may have been the cause. You may have had no way to know, as many manufacturers only recently disclosed these risks. This failure to disclose risks deprived you and your doctor of critical information, which may entitle you to a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
Learn more by calling the law firm of Console & Associates, P.C., at 866-778-5500 or by filling out our online form. We offer free consultations to those who suspect they’ve suffered SSRI-related complications.
There is a connection between certain antidepressants and childbirth complications. Many studies have substantiated this link. These studies demonstrate SSRIs can cause birth defects by passing through the mother’s blood and into the fetus.’ Furthermore, studies have demonstrated the risk of postpartum hemorrhaging from SSRIs for more than a decade.
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) refers to excessive bleeding after childbirth, and it claims 700,000 lives each year according to the WHO. While some bleeding is normal during childbirth, this usually isn’t life threatening. On the other hand, hemorrhage involves intense, prolonged bleeding that can cause significant complications or even death. There are two types of postpartum hemorrhage:
The symptoms of either type of postpartum hemorrhaging include heavy vaginal bleeding and unusually large blood clots, as well as pain or swelling in the vagina or perineum. Blood loss can cause rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, fainting, an an assortment of other symptoms.
Know your legal options.
The availability of significant evidence connecting SSRIs and PPH makes it more likely that manufacturers knew the risks. Likewise, many of them have finally added such risks to their existing product warnings. If the manufacturers delayed publicizing the risks for the sake of their profits, they may be legally liable for injuries related to SSRIs. You’d pursue compensation from such a lawsuit by taking the manufacturer to court for product liability.
That said, the manufacturer may not be the only liable entity. Doctors may be liable for medical malpractice if they knew about the risks of SSRIs during pregnancy and didn’t inform patients. However, product liability and medical malpractice cases are highly complex, and it can be difficult to take on big corporations in court.
If you’re a woman who suffered PPH or other complications after taking SSRIs during pregnancy, we’re here to help. The law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. is ready to help you obtain justice for your suffering and any complications you experienced. A successful court case could see you collect compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and the emotional harm of the complications you suffered. On the other hand, an unsuccessful case won’t cost you anything. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.
Call 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation with our product liability lawyers.
