Adverse effects of IOP-lowering medications during pregnancy/breast-feeding
| Class | Pregnancy | Breast-feeding | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Studies | Human | |||||
| Theoretical risk | Reported cases | |||||
| Parasympathetic agents | C | Teratogenic | Teratogenicity Dysregulation of placental perfusion | Meningism in newborn | Seizures, fever, diaphoresis | |
| Sympathetic agents • brimonidine | B | No significant effect | Delay in labor/ uterine hypotony | No reported side-effects | CNS depression, hypotension andapnea | |
| Prostaglandin analogs | C | High incidence of miscarriage | Uterine contractions | One case of miscarriage | No reported side-effects | |
| Beta-blockers | C | Delayed fetal ossification, fetal resorption | Teratogenicity (1st trimester) Cardiac rhythm changes Respiratory | Arrhythmia and bradycardia Impaired respiratory control in newborns | Controversy overconcentrations inbreast milk. Apnea and bradycardia | |
| Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors • Topical | C | Decreased weight gain | Vertebral body malformation | Lower fetal weight | No reported side-effects | |
| No reported side-effects • Oral | C | Forelimb anomalies | Limb malformations | Onecase of teratoma | No reported side-effects | |