Factors associated with estimate of high teratogenic risk in females exposed to anti-infective and anti-inflammatory drugs during pregnancy

Abstract

© 2018 Polish Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. Considering that a small number of drugs are completely safe for use during pregnancy, the right choice and adequate risk assessment are extremely important. The aim of this study was to analyze factors associated with the estimation of high teratogenic risk (as judged by clinical pharmacologist) in pregnant females who were prescribed anti-infective drugs or mild analgesics. A cross-sectional study included 284 pregnant women who came for an advice about teratogenic risk to clinical pharmacologist in Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Serbia during the period from 1997 to 2012. All of the included pregnant women were prescribed mild analgesics and/or anti-infective drugs during the first 3 months of pregnancy. The data were collected from patient files and by phone interviews. Clinical pharmacologists estimated the risk of teratogenicity as high in pregnant females who were using tetracyclines or propionic acid derivatives. Disorders of development reported by mothers during phone interviews were associated with cephalosporin use during the first 3 months of pregnancy, while miscarriages or abortions happened more often in women who used a tetracycline. Estimate of risk from congenital anomalies after use of drugs during pregnancy, which makes clinical pharmacologists as part of their routine healthcare services, depends on the amount of published data about previous experiences with specific drugs during the first 3 months of pregnancy.