STUDIES ON BARBITURATES IX. THE EFFECT OF BARBITURATES ON THE EMBRYO AND ON PREGNANCY

¹ From the Department of Pharmacology and Materia Medica, Georgetown University, School of Medicine, Washington, D. C.

Experiments on the effect of barbiturates on the embryo and on the outcome of pregnancy have been performed on rabbits, cats, and guinea pigs. The placenta presents no barrier to the passage of barbital or amytal into the embryo. Both barbital and amytal can be detected in the embryo fifteen minutes after the intravenous injection of an anesthetic dose into the mother. However, if sufficient time is allowed for the mother to eliminate the drug, none can be detected in the fetus. A single anesthetic dose of barbital does not interfere with delivery or successful termination of pregnancy, but oft-repeated small doses of barbital may result in abortion or resorption of the embryo.

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