One of the largest verdicts in the history of defective drug cases came last year, when a Missouri jury awarded $23 million to a family whose daughter was born with birth defects related to the mother’s Depakote use.

Drug manufacturer Abbot Laboratories currently faces about 800 lawsuits stemming from the popular anti-seizure medication and its link to birth defects. The drug’s popularity peaked in 2007 with over $1.5 billion in sales. But at roughly the same time, the federal government insisted that the manufacturer include additional warnings on the label; in 2010, the New England Journal of Medicine published a major study on the subject. Two years later, Abbot Laboratories paid $1.6 billion to settle state and federal government claims regarding deceptive marketing practices.

With regard to the St. Louis lawsuit and verdict, a company spokesperson insisted that the plaintiff “made an informed decision” to take Depakote during her pregnancy.

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A recent study that compared the two most common anti-diabetic drugs produced somewhat mixed results, insofar as birth injuries are concerned.

Researchers at The University of North Carolina followed about 100,000 pregnant women with diabetes. Approximately half received insulin, and the other half received glyburide, which is sold under various trade names, including Glynase, Diabeta, Semi-Daonil, and Micronase Daonil.

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A new study conducted by doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has concluded that women who take antidepressants during their second and third trimesters may have an increased risk of preterm birth.

A preterm birth is one that occurs at least three weeks before a baby’s due date. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the earlier a baby is born, the more severe health problems can be. Some of the more serious health problems of babies who are born prematurely include cerebral palsy, breathing or respiratory issues, feeding and digestive issues, intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing loss. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant deaths. The number of premature births has been increasing over the past twenty years and today, one out of every eight pregnancies ends in a preterm birth. The use of antidepressants during pregnancy has also increased over the past two decades. The researchers examined 41 studies that had looked at the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. The data revealed that the risks of premature labor and birth were much higher in the second and third trimesters. The complication of premature births was related to the medication and not to the depression itself. A study conducted in 2007 showed similar results. Researchers followed the pregnancies of 90 women. Sixty-one of the women suffered from depression. Of those 61, 49 were taking anti-depressants. The remaining 22 women were not taking any antidepressant medication. The study’s results showed that the women were taking the antidepressant were at a higher risk of delivering prematurely and were also at a higher risk of delivering babies with special care needs. Another study conducted in 2003 also concluded there was a link between antidepressants and premature births. That study followed 138 pregnant women who were taking anti-depressants and found that these women were at a higher risk for premature birth. If you have suffered serious side-effects or injury from a prescribed medication, contact an experienced San Antonio personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.

Those of us who desire to be parents dream of having a healthy, happy child as we wait patiently for nine months for the little one to arrive. Taking care of every health detail becomes an obsession. So when a child comes out and something is wrong, be it genetics or the poor healthcare that caused it, the new parents want to find the best solution to help their child. Cerebral Palsy (CP) is one possible problem that can be caused by nature or the by healthcare professionals. CP affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills and affects about 500,000 adults and children. It is a disorder that can happen before birth, during birth or 3-5 years after birth. There is no cure for this brain damage and it can hamper things such as vision, hearing, speech and learning. Therapy, special equipment and even surgery can help, but again, there is not a cure. Though most of the time the cause is unknown, there are times when it can be the fault of the health professional. A doctor’s role is critical throughout the pregnancy and during birth. All medications must be reviewed with your doctor to understand the side effects. They also must monitor blood, diabetes, hypertension, seizures and nutritional deficiencies of the mother and child. When the brain is damaged during pregnancy or during birth, the doctor can be held negligent, or the medication can cause complications. If your child has cerebral palsy due to negligence of care from your healthcare professional or a defective or unsafe medication, contact a Texas accident attorney who will stand up for your child’s rights.