Patients who have cancer or certain autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, may find relief using a prescription medication called methotrexate. It is part of a class of drugs called antimetabolites, which work by decreasing immune response activity and cell growth. Use of methotrexate can cause severe side effects in pregnancy. Methotrexate should not be taken by women who are breastfeeding, pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Additionally, a man treated with this medication should not impregnate his partner for at least three months after taking his last dose of methotrexate.
Miscarriage
Use of this medication during pregnancy can induce a miscarriage or fetal death, warn health professionals with Drugs.com. In fact, methotrexate can be used specifically as a nonsurgical method to induce an abortion in early pregnancy. Approximately 90 to 97 percent of women who take methotrexate during early pregnancy experience fetal death, explains the Feminist Women's Health Center. Fetal death occurs because this medication interferes with cell development within an embryo. Side effects of a miscarriage can include unusual vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping.
Birth Defects
Pregnant women who are exposed to methotrexate at conception or during pregnancy are at an increased risk of delivering a baby who has birth defects, explain health professionals with PDRHealth. Methotrexate disrupts the normal development of a fetus while in utero. Depending upon the extent of exposure, infant birth defects can be mild to severe. Affected infants may have poorly formed internal organs or may be at increased risk of having Down's syndrome.
Infertility
Women who take methotrexate can experience infertility as a side effect of treatment, according to Drugs.com, because the medication can disrupt the way in which eggs are released from a woman's ovaries. Consequently, affected women can experience irregular or absent monthly menstrual cycles. And these menstrual cycle abnormalities can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant. A woman may regain normal fertility approximately three months after treatment with methotrexate ends. Women who develop prolonged infertility symptoms should talk with a medical professional as soon as possible.
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