Calcium antagonists are widely used antihypertensive agents and are increasingly prescribed during pregnancy due to their effectiveness and favorable safety profile. However, the potential impact of antenatal exposure to these drugs on offspring development remains an important experimental and clinical concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical development of offspring exposed to calcium antagonists during the antenatal and lactation periods. An experimental study was conducted on 282 rat pups born to females that received calcium antagonists before fertilization, throughout pregnancy, and during lactation. Female rats were divided into one control group and three experimental groups receiving verapamil, nifedipine, or diltiazem at a dose of 5 mg/kg. Offspring were observed from birth to 30 days of age, and physical development indicators, including body weight gain, detachment of the auricles, appearance of the first hair coat, eruption of incisors, eye opening, vaginal opening in females, and testicular descent in males, were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric methods. The results demonstrated that offspring exposed to calcium antagonists showed a tendency toward delayed physical development compared to the control group. The most consistent finding across all experimental groups was a delay in incisor eruption. Delayed eye opening and slower auricle detachment were observed in offspring exposed to verapamil and diltiazem, while changes in the nifedipine group were minimal and not statistically significant for most parameters. Indicators of sexual maturation did not differ significantly from the control group. In conclusion, antenatal and lactational exposure to calcium antagonists may be associated with mild delays in certain parameters of physical development in offspring, with the least pronounced effects observed following nifedipine exposure. These findings highlight the importance of further evaluation of the developmental safety of antihypertensive therapy during pregnancy.

Calcium Antagonists, Antenatal Exposure, Physical Development, Offspring, Pregnancy, Experimental Study, Neonatal Period