Pregnancy outcome after in utero exposure to colchicine.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine the fetal safety of colchicine.


METHODS
This was a prospective observational comparative cohort study regarding colchicine exposure during pregnancy including contacts to 2 Teratology Information Services in Israel from 1994 through 2006.


RESULTS
In all, 238 colchicine-exposed pregnancies (97.0% first trimester) and 964 pregnancies with nonteratogenic exposure were followed up. Treatment indications were: familial Mediterranean fever (87.3%), Behçet disease (7.5%), or other (5.2%). The rate of major congenital anomalies was comparable between the groups (10/221 [4.5%] vs 35/908 [3.9%]; P = .648). There were no cytogenetic anomalies in the colchicine group. The median gestational age at delivery was earlier (39 [38-40] vs 40 [38-41] weeks; P < .001), the rate of preterm deliveries was higher (32/214 [15.0%] vs 51/867 [5.9%]; P < .001), and the median birthweight was lower (3000 [2688-3300] vs 3300 [2900-3600] g; P < .001) in the colchicine group.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that colchicine does not appear to be a major human teratogen, and, probably, has no cytogenetic effect.
Diav-Citrin
Orna
O
Israeli Teratology Information Service and Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Shechtman
Svetlana
S
Schwartz
Vardit
V
Avgil-Tsadok
Meytal
M
Finkel-Pekarsky
Victoriya
V
Wajnberg
Rebecka
R
Arnon
Judy
J
Berkovitch
Matitiahu
M
Ornoy
Asher
A
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013723:Teratogens
D013723:Teratogens; D003078:Colchicine