TERATOGEN EXPOSURE - LACK OF MORPHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES BY DETAILED FETAL SONOGRAPHY

Teratogen exposures cause 1-2% of congenital abnormalities. Our anecdo tal experience was that detailed fetal sonograms conducted for the ind ication of teratogen exposure failed to demonstrate significant morpho logical abnormalities. We reviewed our experience to see how often suc h examinations yielded positive results. Records from 11 September 198 9 to 13 September 1993 were reviewed. All women referred for detailed fetal sonography for the sole indication of exposure to drugs, toxins, or infectious agents and with a sonographic age of 16-24 menstrual we eks were included. All exposures were included in the study, even thos e without known teratogenic potential. Patients previously diagnosed w ith a morphological abnormality or with an abnormal level of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein were excluded. A total of 125 women with 126 s ingleton pregnancies comprised the study population. Ten women had mul tiple exposures. Including the multiple exposures, there was a total o f 138 exposures, 104 to drugs and other toxins (45 of which were not k nown human teratogens), and 34 to infections. The only significant mor phological abnormality found was a duplicated kidney in a woman with p arvovirus exposure. While parvovirus is a cause of anemia and hydrops, it is not a known human teratogen. We therefore assume that this was a coincidental association. We conclude that teratogen exposure is a l ow-yield indication for detailed fetal sonography.