Prenatal genetic tests of pregnant women who were exposed to psychoactive drugs

Backround: The effect of psychoactive substances on fetal developement has recently become a great concern. There‘s not enough data regarding this subject. Methods: A retrospective study of cases from year 2009-2010 included 20 cases of pregnant women who were exposed to psychoactive drugs during their pregnancy. A control group of 30 cases of pregnant women who were not exposed to any psychoactive substances was randomly selected. Out of these cases the data of the use of drugs during pregnancy, prenatal utrasound evaluation (nuchal translucency thickness, morpho-pathologic alterations of organs), biochemical prenatal tests (markers indicating the risk of Down‘s syndrome and spina bifida) was collected. Results and conclusions: No pathologic fetal ultrasound findings were observed in the control group of 30 pregnant women who didn‘t use antipsychotic drugs during pregnancy. Pathological fetal ultrasound findings (minor) were observed in 3 out of 20 pregnant women treated with psychoactive substances. The strongest associacion was observed between neuroleptics and ultrasound changes, p<0.01. Pathological fetal ultrasound findings were observed in 3 out of 13 pregnant women exposed to neuroleptics during pregnancy. The relationship between exposure to antidepressants and pathological ultrasound findings was statistically significant, p<0.038. Pathological fetal ultrasound findings were observed in 2 out of 8 cases of antidepressant treatment during pregnancy. The relationship between exposure to psychoactive substances during pregnancy and biochemical markers indicating the risk of Down‘s and Edward‘s syndromes and spina bifida was statistically insignificant. No increased risk of spina bifida was observed in any group of patients.