Zoloft® and Clubfoot Birth Defects (Talipes Equinus)
Zoloft® (sertraline) and other SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants are the most widely used medications to treat depression. The first SSRI to hit the U.S. market in 1987 was Prozac®. Since then, there have been several other types of SSRIs introduced. Zoloft® was approved for use in 1991 and was the most frequently prescribed antidepressant in the U.S. in 2007. To date, it has been given to millions of people.
Zoloft®-related birth defects have been established by at least two clinical studies conducted over the past five years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also received several reports of birth defects in babies whose mothers used the antidepressant during pregnancy. Among the reported birth defects are PPHN, septal heart defects, and various malformed limb conditions including clubfoot.
What is Clubfoot?
The clubfoot deformity is a malformation of the ankle and foot whereby one foot (or both) appears to be rotated inward. Without clubfoot treatment, eventually a person with this deformity will appear to be walking on the sides of the feet or on the ankles.
One of the reasons for clubfoot is genetic in nature, creating the condition through a combination of chromosomes. Clubfoot can also be the result of a connective tissue disorder, or may be caused by a difficult breach birth. Also, there is compelling evidence that a mother who takes Zoloft® or another SSRI during pregnancy may be at higher risk for the birth of a baby with clubfoot.
There are no clubfoot symptoms per se other than the evident deformity in the feet and ankles seen in newborns with clubfoot. When a clubfoot diagnosis is made, discussions for treatment begin. Usually newborns with clubfoot are fitted with braces to hold the feet and ankles in appropriate position. Treatment by a podiatrist or a physiotherapist may include manipulation to stimulate the correct muscular response.
Clubfoot surgery most often involves clipping the Achilles tendon to pull the foot back into position. The other surgical possibility is shifting a tendon from the first toe to the third in order to assist in realigning the foot. Major surgery for clubfoot treatment is relatively rare.
Does Zoloft® Cause Clubfoot?
Zoloft® and other SSRI medications have been clearly linked to two forms of birth defects: persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and septal defect, which means a hole in the tissue separating the two upper chambers of the heart (atrial), or the two lower chambers (ventrical). Many newborns that have a clubfoot deformity also have a cardiovascular or respiratory problem such as those associated with Zoloft®. Along with that association, there have been persistent reports of Zoloft® adverse events recorded with the FDA over the years that have included babies with clubfoot.
Contact a Zoloft® Birth Defect Attorney
Clubfoot in newborns has been one of many causes cited in Zoloft® birth defect lawsuits. If you are the mother of a child with a clubbed foot and you were prescribed Zoloft® during your pregnancy, you should speak to a Zoloft® attorney about your right to compensation. You might qualify for compensation that would cover the cost of treatment and other losses.
Contact our offices today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Zoloft® birth defect attorney who will review your case with you in detail.