Tag Archives: brain injury lawyer

New Study Indicates Serious Risks of Antidepressants

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

New studies have revealed that antidepressants do have a link with pregnancy related risks as well as birth defects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to help pregnant women clearly identify the risks of certain medicines they may be taking. At the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, a new study showed that some antidepressants are known to cause serious risks during pregnancy including premature birth, birth trauma and birth defects. Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa and Laxapro were among some of the prescription antidepressants that were listed. These drugs are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. They affect a chemical neurotransmitter that controls serotonin levels in the brain which affects a person’s mood. The study focused on 200 pregnant women. Of the 100 that suffered from depression, half were given SSRI’s during pregnancy. About 23 percent gave birth prematurely, as opposed to the women who…
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Magnesium Sulfate During Premature Labor May Decrease Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

Over ten percent of pregnant women deliver their babies before they have reached a full term, forty-week pregnancy. Premature infants, who are delivered before 37 weeks, are at a higher risk for birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, which is caused from damage to the brain. About one-third of children with cerebral palsy were premature babies. Cerebral palsy is a devastating movement disorder. It is characterized by limitations in intelligence, difficulties with hearing, impaired vision, impaired speaking, seizures, behavioral problems and learning disorders. In cases of cerebral palsy, damage occurs to the cerebrum, which is the area of the brain that is in control of motor skills, sensory functions and cognition. Injury can occur either during birth, or after. Damage to the cerebrum is often a result of lack of oxygen, commonly due to problems with the umbilical cord, uterine rupture or eclampsia. The prescription of magnesium sulfate, or Epsom salt, has…
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