Can Botox cause damage to the baby in the early stages of pregnancy?

While I wouldn't recommend Botox if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, many women have been unknowingly injected with Botox while pregnant, including one of my nurses and several of my own patients. I am unaware of any adverse events or developmental issues related to these inadvertent injections.  I would not worry at all. Best

Thank you for your question and congratulations on your pregnancy.  I am not aware of any adverse reactions with cosmetic Botox and pregnancy.  That being said, it is an elective procedure and would not knowingly be performed on a pregnant or breastfeeding mother.  I would not worry about the fact that you have had a cosmetic injection.  Best of luck.

There are no studies that I am aware of in pregnant women that show botox to be dangerous to the fetus. However, most practitioners will not inject botox into women who they know to be pregnant until more becomes known. 

Thank you for sharing your question. Botox is unlikely to cause any problems with your baby, but should not be used. Not enough is known about the effects on a fetus.Congrats and good luck,

Thank you for your question. There isn’t enough research with regards to the effects Botox while pregnant or breastfeeding. Therefore, we recommend waiting until after pregnancy or when you are finished breastfeeding before having Botox treatment. I hope this helps!

Hi and thank you so much for your question. Please don't worry; it is incredibly unlikely that the Botox will have caused any harm. The small quantities used should stay in the area in which they are injected, with only imperceptible (if any) entering the bloodstream. Congratulations, and wishing you all the best!

I recommend that patients do not get Botox/Dysport or fillers once they know they are pregnancy. However, I do not believe you have anything for worry about. Congratulations on your pregnancy. 

Thank you for your question Ss01023. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.It is difficult to make an assessment without a formal exam where the entire medical history is reviewed. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.Although Botox is one of the safest treatments offered, there are some situations where it is not appropriate. The safety and efficacy of Botox treatments have not been determined in women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding. There is also no evidence that Botox crosses the placental barrier, but such studies have not been published. While some physicians are comfortable treating women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid Botox and other such cosmetic treatments until they are no longer breast feeding.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids as described above. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Botox and other cosmetic procedures are not recommended during pregnancy.  However, there is no reason to suspect that Botox would have caused any problems with your pregnancy.  Do not worry.  Best wishes for your pregnancy and baby!

What happened to you happens more frequently than you think to people who are just not aware of the fact that they're pregnant during the treatment using Botox. I think you're going to be just fine and good luck with your pregnancy.