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Medication
Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding |
Surveys have estimated that:
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About 82% of women in their childbearing years (ages 18 to 44) use a
medication, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs; vitamins,
minerals, or herbal supplements; topical medicines or eye drops. About
46% of these women use a prescription medication. 1
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In 1998-99, the most common medications taken by women in their
childbearing years (ages 18 to 44) were:1
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Acetaminophen, which is commonly used for pain relief
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Ibuprofen, another common pain reliever
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estrogen (estradiol), a hormone found in many birth control pills
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pseudoephedrine, a decongestant
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aspirin, another common pain reliever
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Almost half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended.2
Many women take medication in the early weeks of pregnancy before
realizing they are pregnant.
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About 59% of pregnant women are prescribed a medication other than a
vitamin or mineral supplement.3 Use of
over-the-counter medication during pregnancy may be even higher.
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About 13% of pregnant women take a dietary or herbal supplement other
than multivitamins or folic acid. The effects of most herbal supplements
in pregnancy have not been studied. Herbal supplements are not regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).4
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Breastfeeding has become more common in recent years, due in part to the
many known health benefits to babies and mothers. In 2003, almost 71% of
mothers breastfed their infant at some time and 36% continued to
breastfeed for at least 6 months.5 This is an
increase from 1990, when 51% of mothers began breastfeeding in the
hospital and 17% continued to breastfeed for at least 6 months.6
While most medications probably do not harm a baby when taken while
breastfeeding, their effects have not been fully studied.
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While avoiding medications when pregnant or breastfeeding may be desirable,
it is often not possible. Medications are needed to treat conditions such
as asthma, epilepsy, high blood pressure, or depression. Failure to manage
conditions like these may affect the health of both the mother and her
infant.
A study in 2001 found there was not enough information about the risk or
safety of more than 90% of medications approved by the FDA between 1980 and
2000 when taken during pregnancy.8 This makes
it difficult for women and health care providers to decide whether to use
medication during pregnancy. Clearly, more and better information is
needed.
References
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Kaufman DW, Kelly JP, Rosenberg L, et al. Recent patterns
of medication use in the ambulatory adult population of the United States:
the Slone survey. JAMA 2002;287(3):337-44.
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Henshaw SK. Unintended pregnancy in the United States. Fam
Plann Perspect 1998;30(1):24-9, 46.
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Andrade SE, Gurwitz JH, Davis RL, et al. Prescription drug
use in pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;191(2):398-407.
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Tsui B, Dennehy CE, Tsourounis C. A survey of dietary
supplement use during pregnancy at an academic medical center. Am J Obstet
Gynecol 2001;185(2):433-7.
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2003 National Immunization Survey, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services,
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/NIS_data/index.htm (accessed
6/13/05).
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Ryan AS, Wenjun Z, Acosta A. Breastfeeding continues to
increase into the new millennium. Pediatrics 2002;110(6):1103-9.
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American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Drugs.
Transfer of drugs and other chemicals into human milk. Pediatrics
2001;108(3):776-89.
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Lo WY, Friedman JM. Teratogenicity of recently introduced
medications in human pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 2002;100(3):465-73.
Date: October 29, 2004
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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