Birth defects after exposure to misoprostol in the first trimester of pregnancy: prospective follow-up study.

Misoprostol during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with a specific malformative pattern (Moebius sequence and limb defects) whose incidence remains unknown. Data originate mostly from illegal use for abortion and are mainly retrospective. The present prospective controlled study analyses outcomes of first trimester misoprostol exposures after medical prescriptions.

Paternal exposure to methotrexate and pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: To assess the risk of major malformation in the case of paternal exposure to methotrexate (MTX) at the time of conception.

Methods: Using prospective data of our Teratology Information Service, we analyzed outcomes of paternal MTX exposure at the time of conception or up to 3 months before conception.

Results: We report on the outcomes of 42 pregnancies involving 40 men treated with MTX at the time of conception.

Rheumatology drugs and pregnancy.

Medication exposure during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, is a common event that causes considerable concern among patients and healthcare professionals alike. Once the pregnancy is known, the response often consists in stopping or substantially diminishing the use of medications. Some medications are teratogenic and/or fetotoxic, requiring effective birth control and prior information of women of childbearing potential.

[Immunosuppressants for auto-immune diseases and pregnancy].

Therapeutic stability of a systemic disease is a priority during pregnancy. To stop an effective treatment, to reduce dosages or to switch to less effective treatments might induce some loss of chance for pregnant women, and eventually harmful consequences for fetuses. Due to the teratogenic effects of some immunosuppressants, childbearing susceptible women should use effective contraception and be informed of risks in case of pregnancy.