Misoprostol is considered a teratogen. Birth defects that occur after exposure to misoprostol during early pregnancy include cranial defects, bladder prolapse, arthrogryposis, cranial nerve palsies, facial deformities, distal transverse limb defects, and Möbius sequence.1,15,16 These cluster together with birth defects. is thought to be caused by development. It is caused by vascular dysfunction secondary to misoprostol-induced uterine contractions.
is a synthetic analogof prostaglandin E1 andis marketed as an oral preparation used fortheprevention and treatmentof gastroduodenal injurycaused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, misoprostol is used off-label for several indications in obstetrics and gynecology, including medical abortion, medical treatment of miscarriage, induction of labor, preoperative cervical ripening, and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. The effects ofmisoprostol are dose-dependent and include cervical softening and dilatation, uterine contractions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and chills.1 Although misoprostol is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for these indications, Misoprostolwasnotapprovedforthisindication in 2002.Pregnancyhasbeen removed from the label as an absolute contraindication fortheuseofMisoprostol.2The advantages ofMisoprostol over other synthetic prostaglandin analogs are thatitisinexpensive,hasa long shelf life, doesnotrequire refrigeration, and isavailableworldwide.effectiveness.
