The Nation - News from May 29, 1988

More than 200 pregnant women may have unknowingly taken a drug as part of a study conducted by two Cook County Hospital physicians, said Terrence Hansen, director of the Chicago hospital. The study was to determine if Dilantin, a common drug used to treat epilepsy and stroke patients, could reduce fetal stress in Caesarean section births. About 245 pregnant women were given the drug by two anesthesiologists between late September, 1987, and Jan. 16 but an initial review showed that just five of the women signed consent forms to be part of the study, Hansen said. The director said he knew of no injuries caused by the administration of the drug. He refused to identify the two doctors, but said the recommended punishment was probation, a warning that could lead to disciplinary action by the hospital if the doctors commit further violations of hospital policy.