Abstract
Summary Administration of intravenous clonidine hydrochloride has been advocated to rapidly control blood pressure in severe preeclampsia. To examine clonidine's acute maternal and fetal effects we intravenously injected 300 μg clonidine in eight chronically prepared normotensive near term ewes. Unlike intravenous saline solution injection, clonidine produced significant toxicity-intraamniotic pressure increased 97 ± 27% ( p p p 2 decreased to 44 mm Hg ± 4 mm Hg and 13 mm Hg ± 1 mm Hg, respectively ( p 2 levels, although heart rates decreased and serum glucose levels increased. The multiple effects of clonidine infusion are best explained by actions on α 2 -adrenergic receptors. These results suggest that intravenous administration of clonidine may adversely affect the fetus by direct actions and by alterations in maternal physiology. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1988;160:471-6.)
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