Correlation between maternal toxicity and embryo/fetal effects.

It has been widely debated whether embryo/fetal toxicity is secondary to maternal toxicity. This argument has led to great difficulties for administrative decision makers involved in public health evaluation of drugs or chemicals. The present study sought to characterize whether there is a correlation between maternal toxicity and embryo/fetal toxicity. Developmental data from control and treated animals in our laboratory were collected and evaluated. Maternal toxicity, defined here as maternal body weight change, was statistically correlated with embryo/fetal parameters. The result showed that embryo/fetal parameters did not correlate with the body weight change. It can be concluded that maternal toxicity does not always lead to embryo/fetal toxicity; therefore, findings should be handled on a case by case basis and causal relationships should be established.