Five additional lawsuits were filed in December against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) regarding the failure of the company top warn doctors and consumers about the potential birth defect risks for mothers who had been prescribed Paxil during pregnancy. The wonder drug has been prescribed for every form of health issue from obsessive-compulsive disorder to premenstrual dysphoric disorder to migraine headaches.

Barely a year ago, the FDA moved Paxil from a Category C drug to Category D. That switch indicates that the drug no longer is considered to be only to harmful an animal fetus, but that is has also been found to be harmful to a human fetus.

Based on that finding, obstetricians and gynecologists are advising the avoidance of Paxil by both pregnant women and those planning on becoming pregnant in the future. Use of the drug has been linked to a potential risk of fetal heart defects and newborn pulmonary hypertension. In addition, suggestions have been raised that there may be a linkage between the drug and an increased risk of congenital heart malformation.

For more on the issue, see:
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Dec06/Pringle27.htm