Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 3/17/2008

Question
My sister is about 5 weeks pregnant and just last week she had a dental procedure where she was under conscious sedation.  She received 4 doses of Halcion and one dose of Mepergan.  What are the risks to the embryo?

Answer
Was she aware that she was pregnant at the time? Halcion is not recommended during pregnancy and certainly not in the early stages. She should speak with her OB so that when ultrasounds are perfromed they look specifically for fetal anomalies. That's not to say that it will definitely happen (most likely it won't) but it is something to be aware of.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston