Albendazole & Mebendazole : Pregnancy

Albendazole

• Pregnancy category: C
• Albendazole has been shown to have teratogenic and embryotoxic potential in rats and rabbits.
• It should not be used during pregnancy, if at all possible.
• Manufacturer recommends a pregnancy test prior to therapy in women of reproductive potential.
• Women should be advised to avoid pregnancy during and for at least 1 month following therapy.
• Discontinue treatment if pregnancy occurs during treatment.

 Mebendazole

• Pregnancy category: C
• The available evidences showed no difference in congenital anomalies in the children of women treated with mebendazole during mass treatment programs compared with those who were not.
• In mass treatment programs for which the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the benefit of treatment outweighs the risk, WHO allows use of mebendazole in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.
• CDC suggests postponing therapy until third trimester when possible.

Note

Pregnancy Category C: Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus (teratogenic or embryocidal, or other) and there are no controlled studies in women or studies in women and animals are not available. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/pinworm/health_professionals/ 
2. WHO: Drugs Used in Parasitic Disease
3. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jh2922e/3.2.1.html
4. Lexicomp Drug Information Handbook