Persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) or persistent fetal circulation is a dangerous complication that can arise late in a pregnancy. Essentially, when a baby is born, their circulation changes, bringing more blood flow to the lungs and this change helps the baby transition from “breathing” in-utero to breathing oxygen after birth.
When an infant suffers from persistent pulmonary hypertension, their circulation reverts to the circulation of a fetus, bypassing the lungs. When this occurs, the lungs cannot pull in enough oxygen and without sufficient oxygen, the baby faces several life threatening conditions and brain damage. If a baby survives PPHN they typically face some developmental delays, deafness and some other neurological issues.
Babies that are suffering from persistent pulmonary hypertension appear ill when they are born and typically get lower APGAR test scores. They may have blue coloring that does not fade within minutes after birth, they may exhibit unusually rapid breathing and a rapid heart rate and they will typically have low blood oxygen levels even when pure oxygen is being supplied.
Recently, certain antidepressants have been linked to PPHN. Specifically when pregnant women take a drug in the SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) drug family there is a much higher incidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborn babies. If pregnant women took these antidepressants after the 20th week of their pregnancy, they become six times more like of having a baby with persistent pulmonary hypertension.
SSRI, or serotonin reuptake inhibitors drugs include:
· Citalopram – including brand name drugs Celexa, Cipramil, Emocal and Sepram
· Escitalopram oxalate – including brand name drugs Lexapro, Cipralex and Esertia
· Fluoxetine – including brand name drugs Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil and Serefem
· Fluvoxamine Maleate – including brand name drugs Luvox and Faverin
· Paroxetine – including brand name drugs Paxil, Seroxat, Aropax and Deroxat
· Sertraline – including brand name drugs Zoloft, Lustral and Serlain
Paxil, in particular was singled out in 2004 by the FDA as having several instances of newborn heart defects. As of February of 2006, the FDA was strongly considering revising the labeling of SSRI antidepressants to ensure that pregnant women were aware of the risk posed to their unborn child.
If your baby was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension and you were taking an SSRI antidepressant without being aware of the risk it posed to your child, you may be eligible to file suit against the pharmaceutical company who manufactured your medication. You should seek the advice of a qualified product liability attorney, medical malpractice attorney or defective drug attorney and let them advise you on the best course of action. Many babies suffer permanent or long term health and cognitive challenges because of persistent pulmonary hypertension and you could be entitled to reimbursement of medical costs, future medical care coverage and compensation.
Because of design flaw and failure to warn, the drug company who created your medication may be liable for the injury caused to your child. Find a qualified attorney as soon as possible to avoid any problems with statute of limitations.