Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2025

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
15:27

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development

Published on: July 13, 2014

14.7K

Different fetal effects on fingers from exposure to phenytoin, phenobarbital, and carbamazepine

Lewis B Holmes1,2, Anne-Therese Hunt3

  • 1Medical Genetics and Metabolism Unit, Mass General for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part A
|April 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to antiepileptic drugs like phenytoin (PHT), phenobarbital (PB), and carbamazepine (CBZ) during pregnancy affects fetal fingers differently. Phenytoin exposure showed the most striking finger abnormalities in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Teratology
  • Developmental Toxicology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) such as phenytoin (PHT), phenobarbital (PB), and carbamazepine (CBZ) are associated with fetal effects.
  • Concerns exist regarding whether these AEDs produce similar or distinct developmental abnormalities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically compare the specific effects of in utero exposure to PHT, PB, and CBZ monotherapy on fetal finger development.
  • To determine if distinct patterns of digital abnormalities are associated with each of these three AEDs.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study examining the fingers of 115 children exposed prenatally to PHT, PB, or CBZ monotherapy.
  • Inclusion of age- and sex-matched controls (111 children) and parental examinations.
  • Utilized both subjective assessments and objective measurements of finger morphology and dermal ridge patterns.

Main Results:

  • Phenytoin (PHT) exposure was linked to shortened and narrowed fifth fingernails and increased arch dermal ridge patterns.
  • Phenobarbital (PB) exposure was associated with a significant decrease in nail length.
  • Carbamazepine (CBZ) exposure showed a higher incidence of interphalangeal joint stiffness.

Conclusions:

  • In utero exposure to PHT, PB, or CBZ monotherapy during early pregnancy results in distinct digital abnormalities.
  • Phenytoin (PHT) demonstrated the most pronounced effects on finger development among the studied AEDs.
  • These findings highlight the differential teratogenic potential of common antiepileptic drugs on fetal extremities.

Keywords:
arch patternscarbamazepinephenobarbitalphenytoinsmall fingernails

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

85.9K
The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders19:57

The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Published on: August 5, 2017

8.4K

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.4K
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
157
Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers01:08

Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers

Antiepileptic drugs are specialized medications that prevent seizures in individuals diagnosed with epilepsy. These drugs primarily function by blocking the movement of sodium ions through channels in the neuronal membrane, inhibiting the repetitive firing of action potentials often associated with seizures.
Sodium channel blockers modulate ion channels, particularly voltage-gated sodium channels. They block only sodium ion movement.
Among the most commonly prescribed antiepileptic drugs are...
518
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators01:20

Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators

Ezocgabine or retigabine, an antiepileptic drug of remarkable efficacy, has revolutionized the management of seizures. It is a potassium channel activator, explicitly targeting the family of Q subtype potassium channels. It enhances the transmembrane potassium currents, regulating neuronal excitability. This action stabilizes the resting membrane potential, a pivotal factor in mitigating the hyperexcitability that characterizes epilepsy.
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
176
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators01:18

Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators

γ-aminobutyric acid or GABA, plays a pivotal role as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA pathway potentiators, also known as GABAergic drugs, are a class of pharmaceutical agents designed to enhance the functioning of the GABAergic system. These medications primarily treat epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for...
388
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview01:21

Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview

When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...
2.0K