Congenital Heart Disease in Relation to Maternal Use of Bendectin and Other Drugs in Early Pregnancy

To clarify the association of Bendectin and other drugs used in early pregnancy with the occurrence of congenital heart disease, we interviewed 298 mothers of children with congenital heart disease and 738 mothers of healthy controls. Differential recall of drug use by mothers of affected children and mothers of controls was evaluated by comparison of information collected by interview with that recorded in the prenatal record. Data derived from maternal interviews were generally consistent with the record data. Reported Bendectin use was minimally associated with congenital heart disease (prevalence odds ratio, 1.1; 90 per cent confidence interval, 0.8 to 1.5). The data from this study were consistent with previously reported associations of other drugs with congenital heart disease. In particular, aspirin use in early pregnancy was associated with about a twofold increase in the frequency of defects in septation of the truncus arteriosus (prevalence odds ratio, 2.1; 90 per cent confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.9).