How Antidepressants Can Lead to Birth Defects
If you are grappling with the stresses of life, you might find that you need help from antidepressants or other psychiatric medications. If so, you're not alone, many people use psychiatric medications. However, if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, your doctor should inform you of the effects that psychiatric medications can have on your unborn child and the potential risk of birth defects.
For example, taking an antidepressant while pregnant can increase the risk that your child develops a heart defect. If you are only taking one SSRI, your chances of having a birth defect are very low. However, if you are taking four or more SSRIs, your baby is much more likely to be born with a birth defect. It is difficult to battle depression but while you are pregnant, you might still be grappling with depression. When this occurs, you may need an alternative to antidepressants. Your doctor should inform you about other specialists you may speak with who could help you treat your depression.
If your doctor did not inform you of the risks of your medications or alternatives to that medicine and your baby was born with defects, you should contact a birth defect attorney.
Birth Defect Law
While most births are not complicated, there are some cases where the actions that your doctor took or didn't take contributed to the birth defect. Birth defect litigation is different from a birth injury because the birth defect is the result of something that occurred while the infant was developing. On the other hand, a birth injury occurs when a doctor makes a mistake during the birthing process.
If you are filing a lawsuit over a birth defect, you must work with a birth defect attorney. The process of filing a lawsuit over a birth defect is very complex and you may also find it difficult to calculate damages. A birth defect can be very traumatic and you may be entitled to pain and suffering. Also, you may be entitled to compensation for current medical bills and past medical bills.
Birth Defect Attorneys
One of the challenges with birth defect litigation is to find out if the birth defect could have been prevented or if it was inevitable. There are thousands of types of birth defects and there is likely an attorney somewhere who specializes in the type of birth defect that your child is suffering from. Scientists are still trying to determine the cause of different birth defects and you'll need help from an attorney who is experienced in a wide variety of defects.
To learn more, contact a firm like Cooney and Conway. They can help you build your birth defect case.