Women should be wary of taking medical drugs during pregnancy, but refraining from all medicine is not necessary, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
Medicine use should be carefully managed during pregnancy, as many substances can breach the placenta barrier, affecting fetal health, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Division head Lin Wei-chen (林委正) told a news conference on Aug. 21.
Drugs could have a devastating effect on fetal health and development, including causing deformity in the cardiovascular or nervous systems, or the brain, limbs or face, Lin said.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
For pregnant women, taking medical drugs is an act of “balancing risks and rewards” that requires expert assessment, he said.
Lee Wen-fang (李汶芳), an obstetrician, said that medicinal substances pose the highest risk of causing fetal deformities during the period when a fetus’ organs are developing from the third to the eighth week of pregnancy.
Pregnant women should take greater care with medicines, but do not need to forgo medical substances altogether, Lee said, adding that a variety of prescriptions can be used to increase comfort.
Gastric motility-stimulating medicines could be used to reduce pregnancy-related nausea when increased hydration and adjustments to diet and sleep cycle fail, she said.
As pregnancy weakens the immune system, women with children are sometimes prescribed drugs for diseases that typically do not require medication, including otitis media and sinus infections, she said.
Penicillin-based substances are another type of medicine frequently prescribed to pregnant women as a substitute for invasive dental procedures, while orally taken drugs and ointments are used to soothe skin irritations during pregnancy, she said.
Pregnant women managing chronic illnesses should tell obstetricians about their condition to make appropriate adjustments to the dosages of prescriptions, Lee said, adding that many people have problems after stopping their medication without consulting a doctor.
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