Lignocaine crosses the placental barrier and may be taken up by foetal tissues.
When used for surface anaesthesia, lignocaine blood levels after normal doses
are low so little drug is available for placental transfer.
There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
Reproduction studies have been performed in rats at doses of 500 mg/kg/day and
have revealed no evidence of harm to the foetus caused by lignocaine.
It is reasonable to assume that a large number of pregnant women and women o