American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Practice Exam 2026 - Free ABPN Practice Questions and Study Guide

Ebstein's anomaly is a congenital heart defect that affects the tricuspid valve and the right side of the heart. One of the key teratogenic factors linked to this condition, particularly when exposed during pregnancy, is lithium. Lithium is a mood-stabilizing medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and has been well-documented in scientific literature to have associations with various cardiac defects, including Ebstein's anomaly.

When a pregnant individual takes lithium, especially in the first trimester, there is a significant risk of the developing fetus experiencing abnormalities in cardiac development due to the drug's mechanisms that affect fetal heart development. The drug's action on serotonin and other neurotransmitters may disrupt normal growth and morphogenesis in cardiac structures.

Other medications listed, such as haloperidol, valproic acid, and carbamazepine, do have their own teratogenic risks, but they are not specifically associated with Ebstein's anomaly to the same degree as lithium. Valproic acid, for instance, is more closely linked to neural tube defects and other congenital malformations rather than specifically targeting cardiac defects like Ebstein's anomaly. Similarly, haloperidol and carbamazepine, while they can carry risks, do not have the same established relationship with