Keep Tabs on Medications During Pregnancy

Nearly half of the women prescribed medications other than vitamins during their pregnancies may have been given drugs that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes have not been proven safe for a developing fetus, according to a recent study.


Researchers evaluated prescription drug use by more than 152,000 women who gave birth between 1996 and 2000. Of the 64 percent who were given a drug other than a vitamin supplement, 40 percent were prescribed medication that the FDA classifies as not adequately studied in pregnant women. An additional 10 percent were given drugs that research has shown can present possible or definite risk to the fetus, according to the study, which was published in the August 2004 edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.


A good, reader-friendly resource for detailed drug information is MedlinePlus, an online service from the National Library of Medicine at http://medlineplus.gov.  Click the “Drug Information” link on the left side of the page to look up brand-name or generic drugs and to read information from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).


Be sure to discuss any medications you are taking during your pregnancy with your OB-GYN, and to share the results of your own research into a prescribed medication if you have concerns about its safety.

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