MEDICAL DICTIONARY
Teratogen, Ecstasy as: Ecstasy is an illicit drug considered a recreational or party drug. It acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen. The chemical name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
Ecstasy is considered a possible teratogen, an agent that can disturb the development of the embryo or fetus. Teratogens halt the pregnancy or produce a congenital malformation.
British researchers have reported that of 136 pregnancies during which the mothers took Ecstasy, 78 babies were born alive and of these, 15.4% had congenital abnormalities ( birth defects ) including clubfoot, skull defects, toe malformations and two cases of congenital heart defects. By comparison, the malformation rate for pregnant women in the general population is about 3%. (Reference: McElhatton PR et al. Congenital anomalies after prenatal ecstasy exposure. The Lancet 1999;354:1441-1442.) This study was not large enough to prove a link between Ecstasy and birth defects , but these initial findings indicate that Ecstasy should be avoided by pregnant women.
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