Abstract
Introduction: The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is widely used to treat various rheumatic diseases. Many autoimmune diseases occur in women of child-bearing age who may become pregnant while on therapy, which raises concerns regarding the teratogenicity of HCQ and its effect on the outcome of the pregnancy. There is a lack of data regarding the safety of HCQ during pregnancy.Areas covered: In this review, the authors attempt to identify relevant publications by searching MEDLINE, Cochrane database, Ovid-Currents Clinical Medicine, Ovid-Embase:Drugs and Pharmacology, EBSCO, Web of Science and SCOPUS using the search terms HCQ and/or pregnancy. A basis for the mechanism of action of HCQ is provided.Expert opinion: HCQ has been shown by numerous studies over the past 15 years to be efficacious in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. HCQ does not appear to be associated with any increased risk of congenital defects, spontaneous abortions, fetal death, prematurity or decreased numbers of live births in patients with autoimmune diseases. Therefore, in the author's opinion, HCQ is safe for the treatment of autoimmune diseases during pregnancy.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
