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Pregnant mothers are nearly always careful when self-medicating for a minor health problem because of possible consequences for their unborn child, but there are occasions when a doctor's error in prescribing a drug can result in a defect or brain damage and potentially the need for a birth injury lawyer to achieve suitable compensation.
The most notorious case historically was the Thalidomide scandal of the late 1950s and early 1960s, when mothers suffering from morning sickness were prescribed a sedative which led to thousands of children being born with genetic defects, such as fore-shortened limbs.
Although this was an extremely high-profile case which resulted in compensation of many thousands of pounds to victims of this personal injury, and the introduction of drugs onto the market has become more strictly controlled, there are still other instances of babies being born who suffer from problems caused by medication taken by their mothers.
When a woman has a long-standing stabilised health condition, such as diabetes or epilepsy, her GP should be fully aware of all the possible consequences of pregnancy and advise or treat her accordingly to enable the birth to go ahead without problems.
However, some drugs used for treating common illnesses are not always recognised for their potential to cause birth injuries. These include modern anti-depressant medicines SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), whose brand names include Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro, which are usually effective treatments without major side effects for anxiety disorders and other psychiatric problems including alcoholism, bulimia nervosa, OCD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In 2006, a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that woman who took SSRIs in the second half of their pregnancy had a 600% greater chance of having a baby suffering from persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.
This life-threatening condition reduces the flow of blood to the baby's lungs and amount of oxygen going into the bloodstream, leading to respiratory failure if untreated. Because these anti-depressants are only available through prescription issued by a doctor, if harm to the baby resulted due to their lack of care in realising the implications of giving the mother such drugs then they may be deemed liable.
There are other medicines which have been reported as possible causes of birth injury but, as with SSRIs, it may be in the mother's overall best interests to continue taking the drug, however, medical professionals have a duty to explain all implications to both her and the unborn child of any particular course of action.
YouClaim offers birth injury lawyer advice
Fortunately, with the sophisticated neo-natal care available in the UK's hospitals, many infants who would not have survived a birth injury can now be treated successfully and go on to become adults leading fulfilling lives, but this does not alter the fact that if clinical negligence by a doctor or other health worker has caused harm, liability should be established for the sake of future patients.
It can often be difficult to discover the cause of a birth accident resulting in unexpected problems for a new-born child, and that is where the professional qualities and experience of a birth injury lawyer are important to achieve suitable justice for the claimant and compensation where appropriate.
Our personal injury and medical negligence specialists have a sympathetic and helpful attitude to all clients and explain everything in plain English.
If you would like to speak in confidence with one of our legal advisers in the first instance, you can call free on 0800 10 757 95 or contact us by email through this website.
