First-Trimester Exposure to Quetiapine May Not Raise Risk of Birth Defects
Exposure to the antipsychotic quetiapine during the first trimester of pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of major birth defects in infants, suggest results from a small study published online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
To gauge the risk of major physical malformations with quetiapine use during pregnancy, researchers compared babies born to 152 women who took the drug during the first trimester with babies born to 205 women with a history of psychiatric morbidity who did not use a second-generation antipsychotic during pregnancy.
Among the 155 infants exposed to quetiapine during the first trimester, researchers identified 2 birth defects (1.3%). Among the 210 infants unexposed to any antipsychotic during pregnancy, there were 3 birth defects identified (1.4%).
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“Given the considerable use of quetiapine among women of reproductive age across multiple indications, it is critical to have better information regarding the potential risks of fetal exposure to this medication so that women can make informed treatment decisions consistent with their personal wishes and the severity of their underlying psychiatric disorder,” a Psychiatric News Alert article quoted from the study.
“The study results suggest that quetiapine is not a major teratogen.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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