PREGNANCY OUTCOME AFTER PRENATAL QUINOLONE EXPOSURE EVALUATION OF A CASE REGISTRY OF THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TERATOLOGY INFORMATION-SERVICES (ENTIS)

Objective: To study potential teratogenic effects of quinolone exposur e during pregnancy. Study design: Prospective follow-up study. Subject s are pregnant women who contacted a teratology information center for risk information on quinolone treatment. A total of 549 pregnancies w as collected by the European Network of Teratology Information Service s between 1986 and 1994. In addition 116 prospectively documented preg nancies and 25 retrospective case reports on malformed children from o ther databases were analyzed. Results: The malformation rate among the live-born babies in the prospective ENTIS cohort was approximately 4. 8%. No specific patterns of congenital abnormalities were found. The r esults do not suggest an elevated risk for spontaneous abortion, prema turity, intrauterine growth retardation and postnatal disorders. Concl usion: The present study does not reveal any clear adverse reactions ( fetal and neonatal toxicity, including birth defects) due to the in ut ero exposure to quinolones. Hence, termination of pregnancy because of such exposure is not indicated. However, considering the limitations of this study and the fact that diseases urgently requiring quinolone treatment are rare, it appears advisable to prefer penicillin, cephalo sporins and erythromycin as antibiotics of choice.