Beta-Blockers and Fetal Growth Restriction in Pregnant Women With Cardiovascular Disease

Background:The effects of β-adrenergic blockers on the fetus are not well understood. We analyzed the maternal and neonatal outcomes of β-adrenergic blocker treatment during pregnancy to identify the risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR).Methods and Results:We retrospectively reviewed 158 pregnancies in women with cardiovascular disease at a single center. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed in 3 categories: the carvedilol (α/β-adrenergic blocker; α/β group, n=13); β-adrenergic blocker (β group, n=45), and control groups (n=100). Maternal outcome was not significantly different between the groups. FGR occurred in 1 patient (7%) in the α/β group, in 12 (26%) in the β group, and in 3 (3%) in the control group; there was a significant difference between the incidence of FGR between the β group and control group (P