A population-based case-control teratologic study of furazidine, a nitrofuran-derivative treatment during pregnancy

Objective: To study human teratogenic potential of furazidine treatment dur ing pregnancy. Design: Pair analysis of cases with congenital abnormalities and matched population controls. Setting: The Hungarian Case-Control Surve illance of Congenital Abnormalities. Participants: 38,151 pregnant women wh o had newborn infants without any defects (population control group) and 22 ,865 pregnant women who had newborns or fetuses with congenital abnormaliti es between 1980 and 1996. Results: In the case group, 157 (0.7%) and in the control group, 254 (0.7%) pregnant women were treated with furazidine. The case-control pair analysis did not indicate a teratogenic potential of fur azidine use during the second to third months of gestation, i.e. in the cri tical period for major congenital abnormalities. Conclusion: Treatment with furazidine during pregnancy did not show teratogenic risk to the fetus.