S D J Med. 2001 Jan; 54(1): 27-9.

Peyote use during pregnancy.

Gilmore HT.

USD School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Yankton, USA.

Peyote is a substance with varied potential. Used properly it may be a spiritual aid but used in excess, it can be a hallucinogenic agent with teratogenic potential. There is a growing community of devout people who use it as part of their religious observance. The active ingredient, mescaline, has been linked to a specific group of fetal abnormalities when the substance is used inappropriately.