Current status of drugs as teratogens in man.

The facts demonstrate conclusively that ingestion of certain drugs during pregnancy can induce adverse effects in the unborn child. However, few new teratogens or epidemics of birth defects have been identified since the thalidomide disaster, which attests both to effective laboratory testing of drugs in animals prior to clinical use and the extensive surveillance of use of new therapeutic agents in women during pregnancy. It is clear that these practices should continue in order to protect the pregnant woman and her conceptus, and benefits and risks should be carefully weighed before administration of a drug during pregnancy.