Abstract

TERATOGENIC HEROES – A REVIEW

Vijai basker Gunasekaran*, Tintumol Vijai, A Kalandar, Sanjoy K Pal

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy is a unique physiological condition where drug treatment plays a major role. Most women take a medicine at some point during pregnancy, and especially more than 80% of this includes at least one prescribed medication. Some women enter pregnancy with medical conditions like asthma, epilepsy, schizophrenia, hypertension, etc., that requires treatment. But every drug administered or taken by pregnant women may affect the health of both the mother and fetus. Various drugs like antiepileptic, antipsychotics, vitamin A, purine derivatives, antidepressants with benzodiazepines, flavonoids, caffeine, alcohol consumption, smoking and substance abuse causes significant congenital malformations and other perinatal complications. Also a significant rise in the incidence of polytherapy with two or more antidepressants, antipsychotics and sedative-hypnotics have a great impact. On the other hand, this review highlighting the importance of Preconception counseling which will increase women’s knowledge related to the teratogenic drug use and its effects during pregnancy that helps to protect the unwanted birth defects.

Keywords: FDA, Major Congenital Malformations, Preconception counseling, Pregnancy, Teratogenic.