Schoenfeld N, Epstein O, Nemesh L, Rosen M, Atsmon A
Pediatr Res. 1978 Jul;12(7):747-50. doi: 10.1203/00006450-197807000-00001.
Pregnant rats, treated with high doses of propranolol, gave birth to small for dates neonates. Litter size was affected in daily doses of 100 and 150 mg/kg/day. Propranolol markedly influenced the gain in weight normally observed in pregnant rats. The placentas of the rats which received the higher doses of propranolol weighed about 30% less than normal placentas. Pregnant rats, treated with propranolol, gave birth to small for dates neonates. This effect is possibly the result of a drug-induced reduction in transport across cellular membranes, resulting in malnutrition. Since similar effects were reported in humans, treatment with propranolol during pregnancy should be further reevaluated in laboratory animals.
