Knowledge regarding teratogens among women of childbearing age at a large tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia

AIM: To investigate the knowledge of Saudi women regarding the teratogenic effects of environmental agents such as fever, some chronic conditions and medications and its association with certain socio-demographic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey based cross-sectional study was conducted on 315 Saudi women of childbearing age visiting OB/GYN clinics at a large tertiary care centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Knowledge of subjects on teratogenic risk of common entities was measured and nonparametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to associate knowledge score with various predictors. RESULTS: The response rate was 75%. Most of the participants were between 28 and 37 years. Knowledge on teratogenic risk was generally poor with specifically higher knowledge regarding insulin intake and isotretinoin. Older age, higher education, being employed, and having a high monthly income were significantly associated with a higher knowledge score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Women's knowledge regarding teratogenic risks is crucial in ensuring a safe pregnancy and a healthy fetus. Our study revealed inadequate knowledge of teratogens among the participants which implies an urgent need to increase awareness of mothers regarding the harmful effects of common teratogens.