Baum Hedlund filed what is believed to be the first Paxil PPHN-lung defect lawsuit filed to date against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of Paxil, in Pennsylvania State court on behalf of 2 year-old Eric Jackson and his parents, Christopher Jackson and Lisa Boden of Denver, Colorado. The family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages against GSK for failing to warn about the risks associated with Paxil for pregnant women and their unborn children.
Eric was born with severe Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a life-threatening disorder in which the newborn's arteries to the lungs remain constricted after delivery, limiting the amount of blood flow to the lungs and therefore the amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. 10 percent to 20 percent of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment.
The family alleges that Ms. Boden's ingestion of Paxil during her entire pregnancy resulted in her son being born with severe PPHN.
Since his birth, Eric has undergone several medical procedures to save his life. Immediately after birth he was placed on a ventilator, and was eventually placed on an oscillating ventilator which he remained on for a month. Thereafter, he underwent two cardiac catherizations, and a nissen fundoplication procedure to combat gastral reflux caused by being on a ventilator for an extended period of time. He remains on oxygen and medications to help him breathe.
According to the family's attorney Karen Barth Menzies, "Eric and his family have endured a terrible ordeal. Based on its history, we believe that GSK likely had knowledge or, at minimum, should have known of this very serious risk and warned expectant mothers taking Paxil of this risk. We will conduct a thorough investigation of what GSK knew, when, and we will do all we can to vindicate the delicate life of this precious boy."
Baum Hedlund has the longest track-record in handling SSRI-antidepressant litigation and has offices in L.A., D.C. and Philadelphia.
The FDA has issued three Public Health Advisories since December 2005 concerning Paxil birth defects. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a six-fold increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in infants born to mothers who took an antidepressant in the last trimester of pregnancy.
(http://www.paxilbirthdefect.com/lawsuit.shtml)
