Bupropion: congenital heart defects (continued)

Bupropion, an amphetamine, is authorised as an aid to smoking cessation, despite its negative harm-benefit balance. In 2004, data from a registry of pregnancies exposed to bupropion drew attention to an increased risk of congenital heart defects. In 2010, a case-control study including more than 10 000 children showed a higher incidence of in utero exposure to bupropion among children who had congenital left heart defects. Other, less reliable studies did not show such a link. In practice, this risk of congenital heart defects is yet another reason to avoid using bupropion, including during pregnancy, and to monitor the cardiac status of exposed fetuses and newborns.