Abstract
Objective: To assess nicardipine safety for fetuses and neonates. Methods: Nicardipine was measured in maternal plasma (MP), umbilical cord arterial (UaP) and venous (UvP) plasma and breast milk (BrM) of 18 women with severe preeclampsia. Results: Nicardipine was infused for a mean 11.9 ± 10.5 days before and 4.6 ± 1.6 days after delivery. Nicardipine dose and MP concentration were linearly correlated, as were MP with UaP, UvP, and BrM concentrations. The BrM/MP ratio was 0.06 to 0.30. The mean relative infant dose was 0.082%. Conclusion: Nicardipine is safe for fetuses and neonates due to its low levels of placental transfer and disposition in BrM.
Declaration of interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.