"A pregnant woman should not take any drug unless it is necessary for her own health or that of her fetus," note J. M. Friedman and Janine Polifka. "Counseling a pregnant woman about possible effects of an environmental or drug exposure on her developing embryo or fetus is an important component of her medical care."Here, from the authors of the comprehensive TERIS catalog and the widely praised The Effects of Drugs on the Fetus and Nursing Infant, is a concise guide for physicians and other health care practitioners to the potential teratogenic risks of the approximately 225 drugs that are prescribed for neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
An introductory chapter describes an approach to prescribing medications for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Each agent summary presents information from the published data and then rates the risk of teratogenic effects (none, likely, minimal, small, moderate, high, or undetermined.)
