Rare Abdominal Wall Birth Defect: Omphalocele

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 775 babies in the United States are born with an omphalocele per year.

What is this rare and hard to pronounce (om'fal-o-sel) abdominal wall birth defect? Omphalocele is a congenital defect in the abdominal wall in which erratic amounts of abdominal contents protrude into the base of the umbilical cord. Until about week 10 of pregnancy, it is normal for the bowel to be outside of the baby’s belly. After 10 weeks the bowel should be inside the belly.

Omphalocele occurs when the bowel, liver, and sometimes other organs remain outside the belly in a sac.

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What may cause omphalocele?

--Women who were prescribed selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy were more likely to have a baby with an omphalocele. Some brands of SSRIs include Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Asentra.

--Women who consume alcohol or are heavy smokers such as more than one pack a day are more likely to have a baby with omphalocele.

--Women who are obese or overweight before pregnancy were more likely to have a baby with omphalocele.

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Is your baby one of the 775 babies or so per year who suffers from omphalocele? Were you prescribed and taking Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, or Celexa antidepressants while pregnant? Please contact Monheit Law to find out what you should do next. There is no charge to talk to a lawyer or to move forward with a lawsuit.