Zoloft® and Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele)
Zoloft® (sertraline) is a member of the SSRI class of drugs, which have been linked to serious birth defects such as neural tube defects called spina bifida. If you have a child who was born with spina bifida after being treated with Zoloft® during pregnancy, our Zoloft® attorneys can help.
What is Spina Bifida?
Spina bifida is part of a group of birth defects called neural tube defects. The neural tube is a structure in an embryo that eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord. In babies born without neural tube defects, the structure forms and closes in the first month of the pregnancy. In babies that develop spina bifida, at least a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly.
What Causes Spina Bifida?
Doctors don't know for certain what leads to spina bifida, but studies have shown that Zoloft® and other SSRI drugs might make it more likely for children to develop these and other serious birth defects. As with other Zoloft® birth defects, the damage to the fetus occurs very early in a pregnancy, often before the mother is even aware of the pregnancy.
Symptoms of Spina Bifida
The signs of spina bifida depend on the severity of the case. In spina bifida menigocele the membranes that protect the spinal cord push out through the skin, but the spinal cord develops normally. Myelomeningocele is known as open spina bifida, and is the most severe of these neural tube defects. In myelomeningocele, the spinal canal remains open along several vertebrae in the lower back, and both the membranes and the spinal cord protrude at birth, leaving tissue and nerves exposed.
Spina Bifida Treatment
Surgeries need to be performed in cases involving either spina bifida menigocele or myelomeningocele. The myelomeningocele surgery must be performed within days of the birth. Surgery involves placing the spinal cord and the exposed tissue into the body and covering them. Irreparable nerve damage will have already occurred. This type of Spina Bifida birth defect will usually include:
- Severe neurological impairment
- Some level of paralysis
- Seizures
- Bowel and bladder problems
Contact a Zoloft® Birth Defect Lawyer
If your child was born with spina bifida menigocele or myelomeningocele after being exposed to Zoloft® (sertraline) during pregnancy, contact our Zoloft® birth defect attorneys. We are currently investigating Zoloft® birth defect claims that involve spina bifida and various other types of birth defects. For a free and confidential evaluation of your case, please contact use today.