There are so many things that most of us do before we consider getting pregnant – we visit the doctor to make sure that our blood pressure, our weight, and our overall health is good; we stop drinking or quit the smoking habit if we are still addicted; we even begin taking pre-natal vitamins to make sure that we are in the optimum condition to carry a healthy child. But what many of us fail to do is gather all the information that could possibly affect our pregnancy and the health of our newborn baby – and this includes reading up on any medications that we are currently taking to determine their possible effects on pregnancy. This does not mean relying solely on our doctors to tell us what these effects may be; but as it stands there are many doctors that are still prescribing – or giving the go-ahead to still take – medications that could conceivably be harmful during pregnancy.

Consider Paxil® for instance. Paxil® is a widely popular drug taken by millions of people around the world. It is used to treat depression and anxiety disorders and is quite effective in this regard; often with little to no side effects. But when taken during pregnancy, Paxil® has been known to cause a little discussed condition known as PPHN.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn – or PPHN – is an extremely serious condition that affects a newborn baby’s ability to breathe on its own and deliver oxygen throughout its own body. While arteries in a baby’s body normally expand following the birth process (this expansion allows for blood to begin to flow normally to and from the lungs so that the blood can become oxygenated and deliver oxygen throughout the body), in a baby with PPHN the arteries remain constricted. Respiratory distress is even possible for those children with PPHN and medical intervention is imperative.

Paxil® attorneys in California work with families that are struggling with PPHN. But the best course of action is to avoid altogether the ramifications of Paxil® use during pregnancy by gathering the information you need before choosing to become pregnant.

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