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Medication and Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, essentially every aspect of her lifestyle can affect her unborn child. Diet, exercise, smoking, and stress are well-researched factors in neonatal health, and increasing attention is being paid to medications sometimes used during pregnancy. Whether a medication is taken as prescribed or is abused, and whether the medication is over-the-counter (OTC) or a prescription drug, it may have an adverse effect on a fetus.

Healthy Lifestyle Modifications during Pregnancy

Most women are aware of the healthy lifestyle modifications they can adopt when they become pregnant, such as quitting smoking, stopping unnecessary drug and alcohol consumption, and getting adequate rest along with a good diet. However, it's not always clear whether a given medication is safe and advisable to use during pregnancy, or whether its use should be discontinued.

In addition, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of the pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended. Thus, many women are taking a medication, or several medications, at the time they become pregnant. Their pregnancy may not make itself known for a significant period of time, and thus the medications are being taken in the early stages, when the fetus is just starting to develop.

Very Common Medications Can Be Dangerous

Many commonly used medications are linked to pregnancy problems and even birth defects. The brand names of a few such widely prescribed drugs are:

  • Valium
  • Prozac
  • Paxil
  • Morphine and Demerol
  • Tylenol
  • Xanax
  • Oxycontin
  • Vicodin
  • Ritalin
  • Ambien
  • Nembutal

Category C and Worse

Many of the drugs listed above are considered "Category C" or “Category D” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that they should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit from taking the medication justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Xanax and Valium are a more severe category; they should not be used by a pregnant woman.

If you're pregnant, it's best to consult an obstetrician about the medications you're taking or have taken in the past, including your alcohol use. A typical prenatal screening includes many questions about the mother's use of prescription drugs, street drugs such as marijuana and cocaine, and alcohol. Be completely honest with your doctor — it's for your baby's health and well being, and yours too.

Medication Abuses

In addition to a full disclosure of any medications your are taking, you should tell your doctor if you:

  • consume larger doses of a medication than what is prescribed
  • use a medication more frequently than prescribed
  • take a medication for any reason other than what it was prescribed for
  • take someone else's medication

Toward a Safe and Healthy Pregnancy

Indeed, medication and pregnancy are not an entirely comfortable mix. For a safe, comfortable and successful pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby, your obstetrician is the best resource for information about the medication you may or may not need while you're pregnant.

More Consumer-drug-safety Resources