Drug effects on embryo and fetus. 2. Diaplacental transport of drugs
Reinhardt, D.; Richter, O.
Fortschritte der Medizin 99(35): 1394-1398
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8178 PMID: 7274943 Document Number: 179016
Drugs administered in pregnancy have primarily as their target the mother, and the embryo or fetus is an unwanted recipient. Only in a few cases therapy of the growing child via the mother is intended. Thus the knowledge of the risk-benefit ratios of various drug regimens during pregnancy is a matter of utmost concern to each physician. Experimental and clinical data show that there is no direct relationship between the chemical structure, the pharmacological activity or the toxicity of a drug in the adult and its specific action on the embryo. Nevertheless, the considerations presently known to be involved in determining whether a drug will be teratogenic and toxic or not mainly depend upon the type of drug, duration of dosage, access to the conceptus, developmental embryonic stage at time of dosage, disposition within the fetus and individual susceptibility. We have attempted to summarize the present knowledge concerning drug disposition in the embryo and fetus. In addition, based upon the mathematical evaluation of some new experimental results the pharmacokinetics of diaplacental drug transfer is demonstrated.