Toxicity in Pregnancy and Lactation

Drugs taken by the mother can be passed on transplacentally or via breast milk and adversely affect the unborn or the neonate. 

Drug effects on the unborn fall into two basic categories  

Predictable effects that derive from the known pharmacological drug properties. Examples are masculin-ization of the female fetus by androgenic hormones brain hemorrhage due to oral anticoagulants bradycardia due to p-blockers. 

Effects that specifically affect the developing organism and that cannot be predicted on the basis of the known pharmacological activity profile. 

In assessing the risks attending drug use during pregnancy, the following points have to be considered  

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