Which of the following is a fetal side effect of warfarin administration during pregnancy?

Warfarin, an anticoagulant commonly used to prevent thrombosis, can have significant fetal side effects when administered during pregnancy due to its ability to cross the placenta. Among the effects, chondrodysplasia is associated with warfarin exposure. This condition encompasses a group of skeletal dysplasias characterized by abnormal cartilage and bone development, typically leading to distorted growth and stature issues.

This outcome occurs because warfarin disrupts vitamin K metabolism, impacting the synthesis of certain proteins essential for bone development, particularly during critical periods of fetal growth. The risk of chondrodysplasia is particularly salient during the first trimester, a crucial phase for fetal skeletal development.

The other options, while they involve notable fetal risks stemming from different exposures or conditions, are not directly linked to warfarin use. Ebstein anomaly, for example, is largely associated with maternal use of lithium. Enamel hypoplasia is more commonly connected with tetracyclines or specific nutritional deficiencies, and neural tube defects are primarily associated with folate deficiency or maternal diabetes rather than anticoagulant therapy. This specificity emphasizes the importance of understanding which conditions are directly associated with particular medications during pregnancy.