A pilot study of paternal drug exposure: The Motherisk experience

BackgroundThere is a dearth of information on paternal drug exposure at the time of conception. The Motherisk Program, established in 1985, is a teratology information and clinical consultation service on drug safety during pregnancy and lactation, as well as paternal exposure (PEx). Here, we reviewed for the first time our experience with PEx.MethodsThis was an observational retrospective cohort study using a prospectively collected database. Telephone counselling records from January 2002 to December 2007, inclusive, were screened to identify cases concerning PEx.ResultsOf a total of 188,188 counselling requests over these 6 years, 301 (0.16%) pertained to PEx. Counselling was most frequently sought on methotrexate, finasteride, prednisone and azathioprine. For many drugs, limited or no information was available on PEx.ConclusionsPaternal exposure represents a small fraction of counselling requests to Motherisk. Our findings suggest that there is an ongoing need for information on paternal drug exposure.