Transplacental passage of a nonionic contrast agent.
We report the presence of iopromide in the bowel and urine of a preterm infant, born 10 days after intravenous administration of the nonionic monomer to his mother. Excessive urinary iodine excretion and borderline hyperthyrotropinaemia were observed in the infant. Moreover, crossing of the fetal blood-brain barrier was demonstrated by detection of the angiographic material in CSF and thus direct fetal neurotoxic effects cannot be excluded.


CONCLUSIONS
These widely used contrast media may cross the placenta and accumulate in various fetal tissues in significant amounts causing possible neonatal toxicity. Therefore the perinatal safety of these diagnostic agents should at least be questioned.
Vanhaesebrouck
Piet
P
Department of Neonatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. piet.vanhaesebrouck@UGent.be
Verstraete
Alain G
AG
De Praeter
Claudine
C
Smets
Koenraad
K
Zecic
Alexandra
A
Craen
Margarita
M
D000328:Adult; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007455:Iodine / Q000652:urine; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide; D007455:Iodine