How safe medications used in pregnancy?
Published on: Friday, September 27, 2019
KOTA KINABALU: ‘Are these medications safe to be taken in pregnant women?’ ‘Can I take these medications if I’m pregnant?’ These are important questions yet rarely asked by patients when they’re collecting their medication at the pharmacy.
Pregnancy is a wonderful, joyous and at times, it’s a tough journey especially if you’re falling sick. There would be times where taking a medication is needed to treat certain diseases such as cold, cough, runny nose and so on. As for pregnant women with chronic diseases, the use of medications is needed to control and to prevent disease progression.
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Medications, supplements and herbs may seem harmless but some of it may be harmful due to hormonal and physiological changes during pregnancy. Hence, it is important to be aware and cautious before taking any medications or supplements especially during the first trimester as vital organs of the baby are formed during this first three months.
Medicine use in pregnancy is common. There are medications that are safe to be taken during pregnancy while some may not be safe. To this day, there are limited evidences and studies done to determine the safety of medications that can be used in pregnancy as pregnant women are usually not included in the studies. Inappropriate use of medications during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, pregnancy loss, prematurity and development disabilities.
Most of the adverse effects concerning the fetus are from established studies or case reports. For example, Mefenamic acid (widely known with its’ brand name Ponstan) and ibuprofen are commonly used as painkiller treating fever. They belong to the group called Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are not recommended to be used up to 2nd trimester and is contraindicated to be used in 3rd trimester as it can cause heart defects to the fetus. Paracetamol, a widely used medicine for fever and pain is safe to be used in pregnancy, provided that it is taken appropriately.
Apart from NSAIDs, tretinoin (commonly known as Accutane) is a retinoic acid derivative, used to treat acne. It can only be prescribed by a dermatologist and is proven to be teratogenic. Teratogenic by defination is an agent that can disturb the development of the embryo or fetus. Hence, it can lead to birth defects of which cleft palate is the common presentation.
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If you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the medications you have taken, be it a prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and supplements. Sometimes, the benefits of taking the medications are greater than its risk of which the continuation of the medication is needed to control the disease. Hence, a better treatment plan can be carried out or alternative medication can be given while you are pregnant. It is advisable not to stop or start a medication without consulting a doctor or pharmacist.
Prenatal vitamin suggested by your doctor and pharmacist are safe to be used in pregnancy. Most commonly prescribed vitamin is folic acid. Folic acid or also known as folate is a vitamin B (B9) that can be obtained naturally in foods such as leafy vegetables, beefy liver, eggs and beans.
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Folic acid is available in the market in its pure folic acid supplement, multivitamins and prenatal vitamins. Folic acid is needed in our body as it helps in the formation of blood cells. It has been proven that folic acid supplementation helps to decrease the occurance of neural tube defect. Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine and spinal cord that occurs during the first month of pregnancy, even before the women is aware of the pregnancy. The common presentation of neural tube defect is spina bifida. Hence, it is recommended for women who is planning for pregnancy and women with child-bearing potential to take folic acid at least 1 months prior to attempting conception and it is to be taken throughout the first trimester.
It is advisable for you to ask your doctor or pharmacist regarding the safety of the medications in pregnancy. If you’re on any long-term medication, discuss with your doctor before planning a pregnancy. Women of child-bearing age should be aware for the possibility of unplanned pregnancy and checked for pregnancy.
Beware of any medications that are sold from an online store or agent as we are not sure on authenticity and the active ingredients of the medications. Although we are living in a time where information is just at the tip of our fingertips, do not believe on the information that you read online.
Make sure any medications or product that you are taking is registered with Ministry of Health (MOH). Product registered with MOH will have its registration number which starts with ‘MAL’ and has a hologram sticker with image of hibiscus and letters ‘KKM’, ‘PBKD’ (Pihak Berkuasa Kawalan Dadah) and ‘DCA’ (Drug Control Authority) written on the sticker.
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Unregistered product is dangerous as some products may contain illicit or controlled drugs. Controlled drugs can only be obtained from a registered doctor and pharmacist.
Lastly, do not hesitate to ask any healthcare professional before taking any medicine, supplements, vitamins and traditional medicine or herbs during pregnancy.