Neonatal & Fetal Pharm Flashcards
What is the most used class of drugs during pregnancy?
Antibiotics
So is this really important? Do most drugs cross the placenta?
YES! They do! Es muy importante!
What drugs can be given to the mother to stimulate fetal lung maturation?
Corticosteroids
What drugs can be given to the mother to close a patent ductus arteriosus?
NSAIDs (not sure if these are given to the mother or to the baby once it is born) Cuz u want the ductus to be open until birth right?
Do free drugs or bound drugs cross the placenta?
Free
What is the most important factor that crossing of the placenta is dependent on?
Duration & timing of exposure to drug
What are some other factors that crossing the placenta is dependent on? List 6
- Lipid solubility
- Degree of ionization at normal pH
- Molecular weight (1000 will not)
- Maternal plasma protein binding
- Placental development & blood flow
- Energy dependent drug transporter proteins
What metabolic powers does the placenta have that may reduce fetal exposure & toxicity to a drug?
The placenta can metabolize drugs via aromatic oxidation (hydroxylation, methylation, alkylation)
What is another metabolic baracade that a drug must surpass to be toxic to the fetus?
Fetal hepatic metabolism! (Recall that 40-60% of placental blood enters directly into the fetal liver)
What is the classic teratogenic drug that caused devastating effects on babies?
Thalidomide
What was thalidomide used for?
Morning sickness in pregnancy (this was an off-label use; it was developed as an OTC sedative)
What was the effect of thalidomide on babies?
Phocomelia (seal limbs)
Thalidomide interacts with multiple biological pathways but what was specifically mentioned?
Cereblon protein
What was the result of the thalidomide tragedy?
All new drugs are now tested for teratogenicity
What are the parameters a drug must meet to be classified as a teratogen? There are 3
- Drug must show a characteristic set of malformations
- Drug must exert those effects at a particular stage of fetal development
- Drug must show dose-dependent incidence