Work

Acyclovir Exposure and Birth Defects

Year: 2010

Type: editorial

Abstract: Twenty-two percent of pregnant women are seropositive for herpes simplex virus 1 and 2% of susceptible pregnant women acquire a primary herpes simplex virus infection. 2Data on the use of acyclovir and valacyclovir to treat infected women are extremely scarce.The Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston, Massachusetts, statistics on normal pregnancies indicate that approximately 2 per 1000 pregnancies are exposed to each drug during organogenesis (A.Mitchell and C. Louik, Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, written communication, July 14, 2010).Thus, each year in the United States approximately 15 000 conceptuses are potentially exposed to these drugs, yet little information is available on their teratogenicity.4][5][6] Although these studies generally showed no teratogenic effects, they were underpowered to answer the question definitively.

Source: JAMA

DOI: 10.1001/jama.2010.1214

Authors: James L. Mills, Tonia C. Carter

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Language: English

Topic: Pregnancy and Medication Impact

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development