Objective: To review reported bites by venomous snakes in pregnant women.
Methods: This is a review of Medline/PubMed articles on venomous snakebites occurring during pregnancy reported in the English literature from 1966 to May 2009.
Results: Two hundred thirteen venomous snakebites were reported in pregnant women. The overall case-fatality rate in the pregnant females was approximately 4%, and the fetal loss rate was approximately 20%.
Conclusions: Although rare, venomous bites and stings during pregnancy may have a significant adverse effect on the fetus as well as the mother.
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