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| Medication
Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding |
DISCLAIMER:
Links to
organizations outside of CDC are included for information only. CDC
has no control over the information at these sites. Views and
opinions of these organizations are not necessarily those of CDC,
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the U.S. Public
Health Service (PHS). |
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For
additional information on medication use during pregnancy and lactation:
ABCs of a Healthy Pregnancy
Birth defects affect approximately 120,000 (one in 33) newborns in the
United States each year; they are the leading cause of infant mortality and
contribute substantially to illness and long-term disability. Many birth
defects are preventable. This site contains information about what can be
done to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of 60,000
pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental and
social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents and
young adults. The site contains information related to children’s health,
including the AAP policy statement on drugs and chemicals in breast milk.
The
policy statement is periodically updated by AAP to include the latest
information on drugs and chemicals in human breast milk.
American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists (ACOG)
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is a private,
voluntary, nonprofit membership organization and is the nation's leading
group of professionals providing health care for women. The site contains
information related to women’s health issues, including during pregnancy.
Centers for Birth
Defects Research and Prevention/National Birth Defects Prevention Study
CDC currently funds eight Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention
(CBDRP), all of which participate in the National Birth Defects Prevention
Study (NBDPS). The NBDPS is a multi-site, population based study and
provides the nation with a continuing source of information on potential
causes of birth defects including environmental factors.
Division of
Nutrition and Physical Activity, CDC
CDC’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity website contains
information related to
breastfeeding resources, activities, and national policies.
Division of
Reproductive Health, CDC
The CDC's Division of Reproductive Health mission is to promote optimal
reproductive and infant health and quality of life by influencing public
policy, health care practice, community practices, and individual behaviors
through scientific and programmatic expertise, leadership, and support.
Their priority areas include infant health, women’s health and women’s
reproductive health.
March of Dimes
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects and infant mortality, through research, community
services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives.
The site includes
information related to the use of medications and herbals during pregnancy.
National Birth Defects Prevention
Network
The mission of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network is to
establish and maintain a national network of state and population-based
programs for birth defects surveillance and research to assess the impact
of birth defects upon children, families, and health care; to identify
factors that can be used to develop primary prevention strategies; and to
assist families and their providers in secondary disabilities prevention.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH is the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States
and is comprised of 27 separate Institutes and Centers, including:
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National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD): The mission of NICHD is to ensure that
every person is born healthy and wanted, that women suffer no harmful
effects from reproductive processes, and that all children have the
chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives,
free from disease or disability, and to ensure the health, productivity,
independence, and well-being of all people through optimal
rehabilitation.
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Center for the Evaluation
of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR), located in the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), provides
scientifically-based, uniform assessments of the potential for adverse
effects on reproduction and development caused by agents to which humans
may be exposed.
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The NIH website contains
information related to healthy pregnancies. It also includes several
fact sheets on medications and maternal conditions during pregnancy:
National Women's Health Information Center
The National Women’s Health Information Center manages a web site and
toll-free call center that provide free, reliable health information for
women everywhere. The site contains a database of resources and contains
topic areas such as
pregnancy and
medications.
Organization of Teratology
Information Specialists (OTIS)
Teratology Information Specialists (TIS) are comprehensive and
multidisciplinary resources for medical consultation on prenatal exposures.
TIS interpret information regarding known and potential reproductive risks
into risk assessments that are communicated to individuals of reproductive
age and health care providers. OTIS is the coordinating group for
Teratology Information Specialists (TIS) in North America. The site provides
information on current studies and contact information on its member TIS
groups.
REPROTOX®
REPROTOX ® is an information system developed by the Reproductive
Technology Centers (RTC), a non-profit foundation. It contains commentaries
on the potentially harmful effects of chemicals and physical agents on
human pregnancy, reproduction, and development. The REPROTOX ® system was
developed as an information source for laboratory scientists, practicing
physicians, and government agencies.
Safe Motherhood Initiative
The Safe Motherhood Initiative, launched in 1987, is a worldwide effort
that aims to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses associated with
pregnancy and childbirth.
Teratology Society
The Teratology Society is a multidisciplinary scientific society founded in
1960, the members of which study the causes and biological processes
leading to abnormal development and birth defects at the fundamental and
clinical level, and appropriate measures for prevention. Members include
researchers from a wide range of scientific fields, including pediatrics,
anatomy, epidemiology, pharmacology and industrial toxicology,
developmental biology, obstetrics, pathology, genetics, and dentistry.
TERIS- The
Teratogen Information System and Shephard’s Catalog of Teratogenic Agents
TERIS is a computerized database designed by the University of Washington
to assist physicians or other healthcare professionals in assessing the
risks of possible teratogenic exposures in pregnant women. The database
consists of a series of agent summaries, each of which is based on a
thorough review of published clinical and experimental literature. Each
summary includes a risk assessment derived by consensus of an Advisory
Board comprising nationally-recognized authorities in clinical teratology.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration site contains information related to the
use of medications during pregnancy, mainly within:
Date:
August 21, 2007
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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