Statins: beware during pregnancy.

(1) Women of child-bearing age are rarely treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs, so there are few data on the use of statins during pregnancy. (2) Central nervous system and limb defects have been reported in newborns exposed to statins in utero. Several case reports describe similar malformations that are very rare in the general population. (3) Animal toxicity studies also suggest that statins are teratogenic. (4) The data are not conclusive, but they suggest that statins should be avoided during pregnancy and that pregnant women exposed to cholesterol-lowering drugs should be monitored very closely.