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Back| Medication Name | Administration Period | Adverse Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Thalidomide | Early Stage | Multiple limb long bone defects, digit malformations, short or absent limbs ("seal limb deformity"), damage to heart, eyes, ears, kidneys, and anal atresia |
| Methotrexate | Early Stage | Anencephaly, hydrocephalus, cleft palate, miscarriage |
| Cyclophosphamide | Early Stage | Deformities of limbs and external nose, cleft palate, ear agenesis |
| Phenylbutazone | Early Stage | Kidney and ureter defects, cleft palate |
| Diethylstilbestrol | Pregnancy Period | Female fetuses may develop vaginal adenosis, feminization in males, and testicular dysgenesis |
| Androgens | Early Stage | Masculinization of female fetuses |
| Propylthiouracil | Pregnancy Period | Delayed ossification, intellectual disability, goiter |
| Methimazole | Early Stage | Long-term use leads to hypothyroidism |
| Tetracycline | Early Stage | Digit malformations, congenital cataracts, abnormal long bone development |
| Late Stage | Yellow staining of primary teeth, enamel hypoplasia | |
| Corticosteroids | Early Stage | Cleft palate, anencephaly, syndactyly, stillbirth, delayed ossification |
| Phenytoin | Pregnancy Period | Cleft palate, cleft lip, underdevelopment of heart and skeletal system |
| Phenobarbital | Pregnancy Period | Limbs malformation, liver, brain defects |
| Chlorpromazine | Pregnancy Period | Brain maldevelopment, retinal disorders |
| Chlordiazepoxide | Early Stage | Cleft palate, cleft lip |
| Mephobarbital | Early Stage | Congenital heart disease |
| Salicylates | Pregnancy Period | Kidney malformations, central nervous system damage, developmental disorders, neonatal purpura, stillbirth |
| Phenacetin | Pregnancy Period | Kidney and skeletal malformations |
| Meclofenamate | Early Stage | Cleft lip, cleft palate, small finger syndrome, spinal cord dysfunction |
| Diphenhydramine | Pregnancy Period | Cleft lip |
| Coumarin | Pregnancy Period | Cartilage maldevelopment, intracranial hemorrhage, stillbirth |
| Warfarin | Early Stage | Microcephaly, brain maldevelopment, congenital blindness |
| Chloroquine | Pregnancy Period | Deafness, hydrocephalus, kidney malformations, stillbirth |
| Streptomycin | Pregnancy Period | Deafness |
Explanation
The effects of drugs on embryos can generally be divided into the following periods:
The pre-gestational period, from female maturation to the fertilization of the egg, is generally considered safe for medication use, although caution is advised with drugs that have a long half-life in the body.
From the first day of fertilization to day 14, when the fertilized egg develops into a blastocyst, if a drug causes significant damage to the blastocyst cells during this period, it may lead to embryonic death. However, if only a few cells are damaged, it does not affect the differentiation and development of the remaining blastocyst cells into a normal individual.
From day 15 of fertilization to around 3 months of pregnancy, this is the classic teratogenic period. During this time, the heart and brain begin to differentiate and develop, followed by the eyes, limbs, gonads, and reproductive organs. Due to the rapid differentiation of various organs, trunk, and limbs in a short period, they are highly susceptible to teratogenic factors, including drug toxicity. If the differentiating organs are affected, it may lead to malformations; the earlier the drug toxicity occurs during this period, the more severe the potential malformation.
From 3 months of pregnancy to delivery, the likelihood of drug-induced malformations significantly decreases, but some drugs may still impact normal fetal development.
