Possible Reproductive Detriment in LSD Users
JAMA December 11, 1972 Cecil B. Jacobson 52 citations
Among 140 women who reported using LSD before or during pregnancy, 148 pregnancies were observed. Of 83 live births, 8 had major congenital defects. Among 65 abortions, 12 were spontaneous and 53 therapeutic. Four of 14 embryos from therapeutic abortions showed gross anomalies. 43% of first-trimester pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion. Four of eight serial pregnancies resulted in defective embryos or infants. Eight of 12 women were unable to conceive again over 18 months. The use of other illicit drugs, infectious disease, and poor maternal nutrition prevent a definitive link between LSD and increased reproductive risk, but LSD ingestion, along with animal and DNA studies, suggests it might be hazardous to human reproduction.