Prenatal administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and optic nerve development

Abstract

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used by women of reproductive age to alleviate conditions such as fever, pain and inflammation. These drugs, especially when taken during pregnancy, can cause adverse effects, depending on the duration of treatment and dosage employed, in the foetal and newborn periods. Although prenatal exposure to NSAIDs causes adverse effects on the developing central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), these have not yet been fully explained. Prenatal NSAIDs administration can also cause changes in the morphology of optic nerve fibres, such as reducing the myelin sheath thickness and decreasing the numerical density of the developing optic nerve. One of the side-effects of NSAIDs on the CNS is impaired nerve cell signalling due to the apoptotic and / or necrotic process created by oxidative stress. It is recommended that NSAIDs be used with caution until maternal effects are more severe than teratogenic risks and patients are more informed about their side effects. This chapter evaluates the effects of prenatal NSAID exposure on the development of the optic nerve using stereological, histological and electron microscopic techniques.