Debendox in early pregnancy and fetal malformation

Abstract

During the mid-1960s, 22 977 pregnant women in Scotland and England were followed up prospectively for the incidence of malformations in their infants evident at birth or within six weeks. During the first 13 weeks of gestation 620 of these women had been prescribed Debendox (dicyclomine-doxylamine-pyridoxine) and 743 other women agents other than Debendox containing pyridoxine. Of the 620 women given Debendox, 589 (95%) had a normal outcome of pregnancy, 8 (1-3%) delivered a malformed infant, and 23 (3-7%) had other outcomes. Of the 22 357 women who were not given Debendox, 445 (2-0%) produced infants with malformation; and the rates for all abnormal outcomes among women given Debendox and those not given the drug were 5-0% and 5-4% respectively. These results support the hypothesis that Debendox is not teratogenic. © 1981, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.