Maternal drug ingestion and congenital malformations.

Possible interrelationships between maternal drug ingestion and infections during the first trimester and the occurrence of congenital malformations have been studied. Of 1 142 pregnancies, 3,4% ended in malformations clinically detected within 1 week of birth. For the group as a whole there was no evidence of an increased risk ratio in those mothers who ingested medicines. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Similar evaluations were carried out for pregnancies with threatened or actual miscarriages, stillbirths, and deaths occurring between birth and 1 week thereafter. The data from this limited study suggest that drugs are too often incorrectly incriminated when malformations occur. There are many other factors which can create a hostile environment for the fetus. The recommendation however, that women should avoid medicines in the first trimester, unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary, must remain.