July 24, 2007 at 07:35:38

CDC Downplays Birth Defects of SSRIs to Boost Sales

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By Evelyn Pringle (about the author) Page 5 of 5 page(s)

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"Just yesterday," Mr Kwok states, "I spoke to a mother who birthed a baby with a serious breathing disorder that requires regular use of a nebulizer, a device used to administer medication via liquid mist to the airways, commonly used in treating asthma and other respiratory diseases."

"This young mother is now at risk of losing her job," Mr Kwok reports, "since her infant requires full time care."

He says doctors should be instructed to screen patients who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and inform them of the risks of SSRIs to a developing fetus. "At least educate this "class" of women," he says, "so they may make informed personal decisions."

"Sure, the loss of this "class" may cost the drug manufacturers some profit," he notes, "but it's the right thing to do and it will save many families a lifetime of torture caring for a sick child like we see over and over again."

The need to recapture pregnant women as customers is crucial for some SSRI makers. For instance, Forest Labs reported that Lexapro and Celexa accounted for 68% of the firm's total sales for the year ending March 31, 2006, in its Annual Report filed with the SEC.

Back in May 2005, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh estimated that in any given year at least 80,000 pregnant women in US are prescribed SSRIs, in JAMA.

Families seeking legal advice for infants born with heart or lung birth defects to mothers who were prescribed Celexa during pregnancy may contact Robert Kwok at Robert Kwok & Associates, LLP at (888)466-5965; http://www.kwoklaw.com/about.php]

Evelyn Pringle
evelyn-pringle@sbcglobal.net

(This article is written as part of a series on Celexa related litigation and is sponsored by Robert Kwok & Associates, LLP)

(Evelyn Pringle is a regular columnist for OpEd News and an investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government and corporate America)

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