Chlorpromazine pregnancy

A newborn girl born of an HIV-positive mother who took antiretroviral drugs and methadone during pregnancy developed a methadone abstinence syndrome at day 7 (43). She was HIV-negative and was treated symptomatically for 15 days with chlorpromazine. The platelet count was 1049 x 109/1 on day 17 and fell progressively to 290 x 109/1 at 8 weeks. The authors suggested that the thrombocytosis had been secondary to intrauterine methadone exposure. 

The suggestion that congenital cataract (due to denaturation of lens protein) might be due to drugs has some support in man. Chloroquine and chlorpromazine are concentrated in the fetal eye. Since both can cause retinopathy it would seem wise to avoid them in pregnancy if possible. 

Globe RS (1993) Toward a cmnparative overview of dependence potential and acute toxicity of psychoactive substances used non-medically. Drug Alcohol Abuse 19 263-281 150. Rolsten C (1967) Effects of chlorpromazine, psilocybin and psilocin on pregnancy of C57BL/10 mice and their offspring at birth. Anat Rec 157 311... 

Administration of chlorpromazine to a hypoglycaemic child successfully maintained on diazoxide and bedroflumethiazide was followed by marked hyperglycaemia (118 ). The combined use of diazoxide and chlor-methiazole in toxaemia of pregnancy shortly before delivery may have caused the severe depression, hypoventilation and hypotonia seen in 12 out of 13 infants in another similar case the mother had also received massive doses of anticonvulsants for grand mal 119C)... 

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