Bupropion (amfebutamone): caution during pregnancy

(1) Bupropion, which is also called amfebutamone, is an amphetamine marketed to assist with smoking withdrawal. (2) A registry of pregnancies exposed to bupropion has shown a higher-than-expected frequency of neonatal cardiac malformations: 7 of the 10 newborns with malformations had cardiac anomalies (70% of malformations), compared to about 25% in the general population. (3) An increased risk of birth defects, particularly cardiac malformations, is also suspected after exposure to amphetamine derivatives during pregnancy. (4) In practice, these disturbing data are one more reason not to use bupropion, a drug with a negative risk-benefit balance, even outside of pregnancy.