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Nifedipine administered in pregnancy: effect on the development of children at 18 months
R Bortolus1, E Ricci, L Chatenoud
1Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Nifedipine use during pregnancy was evaluated for its effects on child development. Children exposed to nifedipine showed no adverse developmental outcomes at 18 months of age.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatric Development
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The safety of calcium channel blockers like nifedipine during pregnancy is not fully understood.
- Limited data exists on the long-term effects of antenatal nifedipine exposure on child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety of nifedipine use in pregnancy concerning child development.
- To assess developmental outcomes in children born to mothers who received nifedipine during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study comparing children exposed to nifedipine during pregnancy with a control group.
- Children were followed up and assessed at 18 months of age for developmental milestones.
Main Results:
- No significant adverse developmental effects were observed in children exposed to nifedipine in utero.
- Developmental assessments at 18 months showed comparable outcomes between the nifedipine-exposed and control groups.
Conclusions:
- Antenatal exposure to nifedipine does not appear to negatively impact child development up to 18 months of age.
- Nifedipine can be considered a relatively safe option during pregnancy regarding child development.
Abstract:
The safety of use of the calcium channel blocker nifedipine in pregnancy as it affects child development has not been well evaluated. We report the results, with regard to the safety for children of use of nifedipine in pregnancy, on children followed up at 18 months of age born from women recruited in a study comparing routine treatment with nifedipine compared with no treatment.