Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman represents families whose children were born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) after their mothers' ingestion of the antidepressant drug Lexapro (escitalopram), during pregnancy.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), is a life-threatening disorder in which the newborn’s arteries to the lungs remain constricted after delivery, limiting the amount of blood flow to the lungs and therefore the amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. Ten percent to 20 percent of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment.

Kate Gillespie: Preparing for the Battle Over Paxil and Birth Defects -- “These are truly tragic cases,” says Gillespie. “Many babies do not survive beyond birth, while others only live days or months. Those who survive may require a heart transplant at some point in the future... These moms and dads have to go through this over and over."

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) by Christina Chambers of the University of California, San Diego, found a sixfold increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) in infants born to mothers who took an antidepressant in the last trimester of pregnancy. On July 19, 2006, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Lexapro and several other antidepressants based on this study.

Since September 2005, information has been emerging that the antidepressant Paxil may cause birth defects, including cardiac (heart), pulmonary (lung), craniosynostosis (abnormally shaped skull) and infant omphalocele (abdominal wall defects). Baum Hedlund is investigating whether or not other antidepressants, such as Lexapro, cause these birth defects as well.

If you believe your child's birth defects
or PPHN may be related to the use of Lexapro
or other antidepressants during pregnancy,
Contact Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman
today for a free consultation.

Baum Hedlund concentrates its practice on pharmaceutical drug product liability and we have represented thousands of victims of drug-induced injury and death. The firm has been representing victims of harmful drugs for more than 20 years.

Over the past 17 years, the firm has focused its attention on personal injury and wrongful death cases involving antidepressants. We have seen the harm antidepressants can cause and the extent to which drug companies will go to protect their enormously profitable drugs. In representing our clients, we dig deep into drug company files to discover the truth about what the company knew about the drug’s risks, when the company knew of those risks and what efforts, if any, the company took to hide those risks. Only through legal action can anyone gain access to much of this information.

To find out more about your legal rights regarding Lexapro birth defects,
please visit www.antidepressantbirthdefects.com and www.pphnlawyers.com.