A new study that was presented at the annual American Psychiatric Association meeting links antidepressants with pregnancy related risks including premature birth and birth defects.

The antidepressants that are known to cause serious risks include a specific class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These types of antidepressants include Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa and Laxapro. SSRIs work by controlling serotonin levels in the brain through affecting a chemical neurotransmitter.

The new study focused on 200 pregnant women, with half suffering from depression. Half of the women that suffer from depression took SSRIs throughout their pregnancies. Of the women who took SSRI’s, about 23 percent gave birth prematurely. Of the women that did not have depression, only 6 percent gave birth prematurely.

Premature birth can lead to serious birth injuries that can result in permanent disability such as cerebral palsy.

Preterm birth is not the only major risk associated with SSRIs. The Food and Drug Administration has issued repeated warnings about Paxil’s use during pregnancy, citing the high risk of heart related birth defects. In addition, withdrawal symptoms have been noticed in babies who are born to mother’s taking SSRI’s during the third trimester.

Birth defect attorneys are working on cases in which serious injury has resulted due to the negligence of a doctor or medical staff.

A recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente shows that the number of women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes has doubled between 1999 and 2005. Diabetes is a serious disease which can have a dangerous impact on pregnancy.

The study shows that in 1999 the 0.81 percent out of 100 women had a preexisting form of diabetes while pregnant. In 2005, the amount of women with preexisting diabetes jumped to 1.82 per 100 births.

The researchers that conducted the study claim that the rise in diabetes is linked with the rise in obesity. Both obesity and diabetes can lead to serious conditions during pregnancy, leaving the child more susceptible to birth injuries.

Diabetes increases the risk of miscarriage, still birth, birth defects and difficult deliveries. It is very important that a doctor monitors pregnant women with diabetes.

Birth injury attorneys are working on cases in which doctors and hospitals have failed to properly monitor and care for pregnant women with diabetes, resulting in serious birth trauma.  
 

A new medical device is being used to help prevent the consequences of birth injury. The device is called the Olympic Cool-Cap machine. It is being used to treat healthy, full term infants who have suffered birth trauma due to lack of oxygen.

The lack of oxygen during birth can result in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which is attributed to causing cerebral palsy or even fatality. The new medical device functions as a way to lower a baby’s body temperature after suffering from birth injury to help prevent the devastating consequences of lack of oxygen.

The Olympic Cool-Cap machine is the only medical device of its kind to be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Because the medical device is relatively new, long term studies have not shown the devices effectiveness, although the manufacturers of the device and the FDA hope that it will help thousands of babies a year.

Birth injuries are often the result of medical negligence. Birth trauma attorneys are working on cases in which life-long disabilities or fatalities have resulted from birth injuries.