OBJECTIVE:

To study the human teratogenic potential of tetanus vaccination during pregnancy.

METHODS:

Pair analysis of cases with congenital abnormalities and matched healthy controls was performed in the large population-based dataset of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980-1994.

RESULTS:

Of 35 727 pregnant women who had babies without any defects in the study period (control group), 33 (0.09%) were vaccinated with tetanus. Of 21563 pregnant women who had offspring with congenital abnormalities, 25 (0.12%) had tetanus vaccination. This difference was not significant (P = 0.39). The case-control pair analysis confirmed the safety of tetanus vaccination during pregnancy, particularly in the second and third months of gestation, i.e. during the critical period for congenital abnormalities.

CONCLUSION:

Tetanus vaccination during pregnancy appears not be teratogenic to the fetus. Thus, there is no contraindication, if the use of tetanus toxoid is necessary during pregnancy.