Medication use during pregnancy

The key to taking medications during pregnancy (or when you’re trying to get pregnant) is weighing the benefits of the medicine against the potential risks to the fetus. You can be proactive and get reliable information so you can work with your healthcare providers and make informed choices about your care.

Ronald J. Ruggerio, Pharm.D., clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco schools of pharmacy and medicine, says not to take any herbal remedies or supplements because there are no reliable studies about their effects during pregnancy. In fact, since they’re not regulated as conventional medications are, you have no way to gauge the purity or actual dose of the substance you’re buying.

Ask the healthcare provider managing your pregnancy about over-the-counter medicines you may or may not take to relieve symptoms associated with everyday conditions such as heartburn or a splitting headache. It’s a good idea to check with your own healthcare provider – someone who regularly prescribes for common problems in pregnant women C if you need a prescription for an illness such as a bladder infection or strep throat.

Medical advances allow women with chronic conditions, who once might have thought pregnancy was too risky, to reconsider. Both Ruggerio and Sandra Gangell, program director of the Pregnancy Risk Network of People, Inc. in Buffalo, NY, and a specialist in the study of the effects that drugs, chemicals and other substances may have on a developing fetus, agree that women with chronic health conditions who take medication may want to assemble their own teams to develop game plans that optimize their health while minimizing risks to the fetus.

Ruggerio notes that obstetricians can’t be expected to know the effects of all medications used for chronic conditions; thus, the team concept is valuable. Gangell emphasizes that women should take the lead and talk with their healthcare providers about putting the team together, ideally before conception. Members of the team can include:

Gangell encourages calls from concerned women. She says, "I’ve gotten calls from women who thought their only option was to terminate their pregnancy, and we were able to get them reliable information that showed they had a number of other options."

OTIS members can provide information for women and their healthcare providers concerned about:

In some cases, such as asthma, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and HIV disease, stopping Mom’s medicines can be significantly more harmful to the fetus than active disease management throughout pregnancy. Gangell says calling OTIS can help you and your healthcare team learn about:

• A specific drug and the risk based on timing during the pregnancy (some drugs are potentially harmful early in the pregnancy and not as risky later on; others may present a greater risk toward delivery).

• The risk/benefit profile of medication(s) that can help manage your condition during your pregnancy.

Gangell warns, "Don’t stop taking medicine for a chronic condition if a home pregnancy test is positive." Check first with your healthcare provider.

OTIS can provide reliable information about risks associated with medication use during pregnancy. OTIS member organizations don’t prescribe or recommend treatments; they provide objective information on which decisions can be based. Answers to your questions about taking medicines and calming your nerves about exposures before you knew you were pregnant may be just a phone call away. Information from OTIS can allow you to work with your healthcare providers to make more informed decisions about your care while you are trying to conceive or are pregnant.

Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) National Referral Line:              (888) 285-3410