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Question 482
Pharmacology → General
Classification
Question
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A woman has taken a tricyclic antidepressant throughout pregnancy, including the third trimester. Which neonatal effects are particularly associated with imipramine exposure late in pregnancy?
Question Stem
Select the single best answer.
Options
A
Bradycardia and hypothermia
B
Respiratory depression and miosis
C
Hypoglycaemia and urinary retention
D
Tachycardia and irritability
E
Bronchospasm and hypotension
Explanation
Tricyclic antidepressants may cause neonatal tachycardia and irritability when taken during the third trimester, particularly with imipramine.
Option Validity
A) Bradycardia and hypothermia are not the neonatal effects associated with third-trimester imipramine exposure.
B) Respiratory depression is associated with centrally acting opioid exposure rather than the specified tricyclic antidepressant effect.
C) Hypoglycaemia and urinary retention do not form the characteristic neonatal pair associated with late imipramine exposure.
E) Bronchospasm and hypotension are associated with histamine release from morphine rather than the specified neonatal tricyclic antidepressant effects.
Further Reading
Saxena R. Textbook for MRCOG-1. Chapter 12: Pharmacology. Antidepressant Drugs, p.346.