Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) is not a condition with which most of us are largely unfamiliar. And this unfamiliarity is an unfortunate thing – especially if we are pregnant woman that is currently taking the popular drug, Paxil®.

For those who have not heard of this condition and are unaware of its connection to Paxil®, the facts are alarming. PPHN is a condition whereby the natural breathing function of an infant is compromised; essentially, a baby that should normally immediately adapt to being able to breathe on its own is unable to do so.

In normal pulmonary and circulatory function, blood is pumped to and from the lungs in a continuous cycle of oxygenation whereby oxygen is delivered to the organs of the body and carbon dioxide is exchanged. This critical function is thwarted in the face of PPHN and blood is not able to reach the lungs and become oxygenated. Because the body is not receiving the oxygen that it should, there is vulnerability to a host of ramifications including respiratory failure, heart failure, organ failure, and even fatality.

The most terrifying part about PPHN – aside from the obvious – is that a baby’s vulnerability to it can be drastically increased by the mother taking Paxil® during pregnancy. This otherwise safe and effective antidepressant and anti anxiety medication can have serious ramifications for pregnant women and the baby they are carrying.

While we may assume that pregnant women are receiving fair warnings from their medical caregivers concerning the dangers of Paxil® use during pregnancy and the resulting possibility of PPHN, the reality is that women are not only not being warned – in some cases they are being advised to start taking or continue to take Paxil®.

Paxil® attorneys in California, therefore, work with women who have given birth to babies with PPHN following Paxil® use during pregnancy. In the next post, we’ll discuss some of the particular long term ramifications of PPHN.

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