It is not uncommon for people to take an antidepressant at some point in their lives, whether it is a temporary or life-long necessity. Such medication can be the key to allowing people to live with sound mental health. But not all medications are created equal, and those taking the prescription drug Paxil should take notice.

According to sources, the manufacturer of Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline, has had more than 190 product liability and/or negligence suits filed against them. The majority of the cases were settled outside of court, including the most recent Paxil case filed by a mother in South Dakota.

And that is where the urgent warning comes in: think twice before combining motherhood and Paxil. The various lawsuits have resulted from parents who were not warned that Paxil increased the chance of dangerous birth defects in infants.

The recent South Dakota case went after GlaxoSmithKline for damages after the mother, who took Paxil throughout her pregnancy, lost her baby a mere 58 days after birth due to a severe heart condition. The condition is called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), and the illness has been connected to Paxil use in mothers by the Food & Drug Administration.

In 2006, the FDA asked antidepressant makers to rework their drug labels in order to clearly warn users and doctors of the risk involved with taking such drugs, like Paxil, during pregnancy. In the recent case, the plaintiff and her personal injury attorney argued that she was not sufficiently warned, and that that failure to warn on the company's part led to the death of her boy.

Sources report that the lawsuit was settled outside of court in July, and details about the settlement have not been made public. One report states that GlaxoSmithKline has said that these birth defect settlements will cost them an estimated $2.36 billion.

Resources

NewsInferno: Another Paxil Birth Defect Lawsuit Reported Settled (7/20/2010)

drugalert.org: Paxil Lawsuit Settled Outside of Court (8/10/2010)