Frågedatum: 1994-11-07
RELIS database 1994; id.nr. 10299, DRUGLINE
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What is known about the risks of ingestion of Ecstasy during pregnancy?/nA midwife from a small tow



Fråga: What is known about the risks of ingestion of Ecstasy during pregnancy? A midwife from a small town has called concerning a woman in week 12 of pregnancy and who has used Ecstasy in unknown doses on unknown occasions.

Sammanfattning: No documentation has been found concerning the use of Ecstacy (MDMA) during pregnancy. It has been discussed that the related drug amphetamine can, during longterm-treatment or misuse, increase the risk of oral clefts and increase the risk of low birth weight in the infant.

Svar: Ecstasy has the chemical name 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and is structurally related to metamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) which were used during the 1960s among drug addicts (1). Since the late 1980s, MDMA (Ecstacy) has gain interest in young people and is used at so-called "rave" parties. The effects of MDMA are disorientation, euphoria, spasmodic movements, and changes in social behaviour. The doses used vary, but 100-150 mg as a single dose has been described (1). The toxicity of MDMA includes dependence, hyperthermia, tachycardia, increased blood pressure and shortness of breath (2). Hepatotoxicity (suggested idiosyncratic toxic hepatitis) and lethal cases have been reported (2).

We have not found anything in the literature concerning use of MDMA during pregnancy in humans. The behavioural and neurochemical effects of prenatal MDMA exposure in rats have been studied (3). Pregnant rats were given MDMA 0, 2.5, or 10 mg/kg during gestation. Gestational duration, litter size, neonatal birth weight and physical appearance at birth were unaffected by MDMA treatment.

Concerning use of amphetamines during pregnancy we refer to earlier Drugline documents (5,6). In conclusion, longterm use or misuse of amphetamines during pregnancy can increase the risk of low birth weight in the infant. Some authors suggest an increased risk of oral clefts but this has yet not been fully established. Amphetamine in low doses for treatment of narcolepsia is not contraindicated during pregnancy (5).

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