Gadolinium Periconceptional exposure: pregnancy and neonatal outcome.

BACKGROUND: Gadolinium derivatives are ionic paramagnetic contrast agents used to enhance magnetic resonance images, labeled as a pregnancy category C by the Food and Drug Administration because of a lack of epidemiological studies concerning first-trimester exposure. METHODS: Prospective cohort study to determine whether gadolinium derivatives exposure in periconceptional period is a risk factor for pregnancy or fetal development. RESULTS: We report the outcome of 26 pregnant women exposed to gadolinium derivatives in the first trimester without adverse effect on pregnancy and neonatal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, this study represents the only prospective investigation of gadolinium derivatives in pregnancy, but more data are necessary to exclude a teratogenic risk.