ABSTRACT:
Teratogenesis (birth defects) is the complications and disorders that change the morphology of the foetus due to some drugs- teratogens, taken during pregnancy. Tetracycline is a teratogenic agent. Tetracycline antibiotics are used in the treatment of some common infectious diseases in children and adult such as severe acne, urinary, periodontal disease and intestinal disorders. They may have a role in reducing the duration and severity of cholera. Once the usage of tetracycline was popular and widespread for the resistance of various causative organisms. But the fact is tetracycline have side effects that depend upon the dose, period of medication and it severity. It is most recommended that pregnancy and lactating women should not take tetracycline antibiotics, as they bring about discoloration of teeth in primary dentition of the developing foetus in the womb of the mother. Those tetracycline antibiotics involve chlortetracycline, minocycline, demethylchlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline. Now a days teratogenicity occurs to 3-5% of the newborns. Minocycline hydrochloride, a semisynthetic derivative of tetracycline often used for the treatment of acne, has been shown to cause pigmentation of a variety of tissues including skin, thyroid, nails, sclera, teeth, conjunctiva and bone. From this review, I see that tetracycline medications over long-period are high dangerous and moreover the usage of antibiotics should be minimised.