Response

We thank Dr Lindsay and colleagues for their valuable comments on our article. It is of the utmost importance to gather data on fetal toxicity from paternal ribavirin exposures so that the risk, if any, is clearly characterized based on large-scale data. In this regard, the Ribavirin Pregnancy Registry is an important endeavour. At the same time, it is also important to summarize the information currently available for rational management of those patients who failed contraception during paternal therapy. Our conclusion in the article describes the course of action that we think best under the uncertain circumstances. Namely, a detailed fetal ultrasound study is warranted. This is by no means a conclusive remark on the fetal risk, or lack thereof, resulting from the ribavirin–interferon treatment of the fathers.

• Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada