Sirenomelia accompanying exposure of the embryo to cocaine

Abstract

We have reported two cases of sirenomelia sequence associated with a history of cocaine exposure during a major part or the entire extent of the first trimester of pregnancy. The two infants were delivered during a 2 1/2-year interval in a newborn population in which prenatal cocaine exposure rose to an estimated 25%. The incidence of sirenomelia in this population was 18-fold higher than previously reported. The potential relationship between sirenomelia and cocaine exposure during the first month of pregnancy warrants further investigation.