Association of sympathomimetic drugs with malformations

We observed 2 cases of severe limb defects in infants following the use of sympathomimetic drugs during pregnancy. The mother of I had taken large dos es of Primatene(R) (ephedrine, theophylline, phenobarbital) as tablets and mist throughout pregnancy. The infant was born with oligoectrosyndactyly. I n the other infant, maternal ingestion of sympathomimetic drugs including T riaminic(R) (pseudoephedrine. phenylephrine. phenylpropanolamine) was assoc iated with distal limb defects, Experimental studies in pregnant rabbits us ing Primatene(R) in both low and high dosage resulted in limb reduction def ects and other malformations in a significant number of the offspring compa red with controls. Limb defects in the offspring of chicks following exposu re to sympathomimetic drugs had previously been observed. We suggest that t hese agents may be teratogenic in the human and should be used with great c aution or avoided during pregnancy.