USE OF ATROPINE IN PREGNANCY
Date of issue: September 2022, Version: 3

Atropine is a tropane alkaloid with antimuscarinic effects. It is used in the treatment of symptomatic bradycardia, as an antisialagogue, as an antidote, and topically as a mydriatic and cycloplegic.
Data on the use of atropine in pregnancy are extremely limited, but do not currently indicate an increased risk of fetal malformation. Information on other adverse pregnancy outcomes is too limited to permit an evidence-based assessment of any risk.
Atropine should not be withheld in a pregnant patient if there is a compelling clinical indication for use. Enhanced antenatal surveillance may be warranted following maternal atropine exposure and should be decided on a case-by-case basis. Discussion with UKTIS is recommended in all cases of exposure to atropine at any stage of pregnancy.
This is a summary of the full UKTIS monograph for health care professionals and should not be used in isolation. The full UKTIS monograph and access to any hyperlinked related documents is available to NHS health care professionals who are logged in.
If you have a patient with exposure to a drug or chemical and require assistance in making a patient-specific risk assessment, please telephone UKTIS on 0344 892 0909 to discuss the case with a teratology specialist.
If you would like to report a pregnancy to UKTIS please click here to download our pregnancy reporting form. Please encourage all women to complete an online reporting form.