Birth weight, gestational age and medications during pregnancy

Objective: To determine the effect of medication on birth weight and gestational age in 29 004 healthy newborn infants born to mothers with or without treatment of drugs. Method: Birth weight and gestational age were evaluated in healthy control newborn infants in the population-based dataset of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities (1980-1991) using multiple regression analysis. Results: Of 114 drugs used in more than 100 pregnant women, 19 had a positive or negative impact. Conclusions: Further studies should be carried out to identify the possible mechanisms of medication and/or the maternal disorder for which this medication was-given. (C) 1998 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.