A population-based case-control teratologic study of furazidine, a nitrofuran-derivative treatment during pregnancy

Objective: To study human teratogenic potential of furazidine treatment during pregnancy. Design: Pair analysis of cases with congenital abnormalities and matched population controls. Setting: The Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities. Participants: 38,151 pregnant women who had newborn infants without any defects (population control group) and 22,865 pregnant women who had newborns or fetuses with congenital abnormalities between 1980 and 1996. Results: In the case group, 157 (0.7%) and in the control group, 254 (0.7%) pregnant women were treated with furazidine. The case-control pair analysis did not indicate a teratogenic potential of furazidine use during the second to third months of gestation, i.e. in the critical period for major congenital abnormalities. Conclusion: Treatment with furazidine during pregnancy did not show teratogenic risk to the fetus.