Abstract
Objective: Retinoic acid and its derivatives are frequently used in various skin diseases, especially acne vulgaris. The use of these active substances, which are known to have teratogenic effects, is frequently encountered during pregnancy and lactation periods. It is especially possible to encounter their use before pregnancy and during the period when pregnancy is the most risky for the healthy development of the baby, including organogenesis. All these data indicate that not enough is known about the teratogenic effects of retinoic acid. In this review, information about teratogenicity, retinoic acid derivatives and their teratogenic effects are discussed. In addition, the literature on the use of topical and systemic retinoic acid during pregnancy and lactation is reviewed and the results of the studies are discussed.
Result and Discussion: It is very important to know the teratogenic effects of retinoic acid and its derivatives. There is insufficient data on the systemic and topical use of these compounds during pregnancy and lactation. Increasing evaluations on this subject will allow safer use of retinoic acid derivatives.