Effects of Fetal Exposure to Diazoxide in Humans

The study examined the effects of fetal exposure to diazoxide in four infants whose mothers were treated with the drug during the last 19 to 69 days of pregnancy. Maternal and umbilical plasma levels of diazoxide were measured, and the drug was found in amniotic fluid and excreted in the infants' urine. No immediate effects on blood pressure or blood sugar levels were observed in the first 24 hours, although glucose tolerance was impaired in two infants whose mothers had diabetes. All infants developed alopecia, and one had hypertrichosis lanuginosa, with abnormal hair growth persisting up to 1 year. Bone age was normal in three infants, but one showed retarded ossification. No other abnormalities were detected in blood counts, immunoglobulin levels, or ocular development.