Is there any medication forbidden during pregnancy? When treating this topic, it is important to underline that pregnancy is a period of time when the woman experiments a wide range of physiologic changes. During this stage, each simple infection, pathology or medication can effect either the foetus or the mother.
For this reason, usually it is not recommended the use of medication during the pregnancy, like the World Health Organization (WHO) advises.
Medication during pregnancy
When we talk about the principal risks related to the medication administration during pregnancy, we can classify them in different categories according to the level risk they imply:
- Category A: Controlled studies have not proofed that there are risks during pregnancy, and the possibility that the foetus suffers from teratogenesis is very low. In this category there are: some vitamins, folic acid, ascorbic acid, iron, calcium, potassium and Levothyroxine taken with doses prescribed by the doctor.
- Category B: Medication, in which there were no risks registered in human beings, is accepted to be used during pregnancy. Medication like: acetaminophenol, aspartate, corticoid, insuline, amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, azithromycin, ranitidine e ibuprofen. This last one is not recommended to be taken after week 32 of gestation.
- Category C: Risks during pregnancy cannot be dismissed, so, the use of this medication must be evaluated by a doctor, who will also analyse carefully its benefits and risks for each individual case.
Usually, in the label of these medicaments risks are advised. Some of these most common are: prochlorperazine, amikacyn, atenolol, beclomethasone, betamethasone, carbamazepine, codeine, clonazepam, fluconazole, ketorolac, dexametasone, Anti-RH (D) immunoglobulin and ciprofloxacin.
- Category D: The studies performed in pregnant women proofed the risk of suffering from adverse effects like fetal malformations. For this reason, the medication of this category are considered medication of high risk. They can be only used for cases, which there is no other alternative.
Some of the most usual medications are for treatments against asma, epilepsy or muscle relaxant like acenocumarol, ácido acetilsalicílico, diazepam, valproico, litio, fenitoína, bleomicina o metotrexate.
- Category X: Medication totally not recommended/contraindicated in pregnancy. Its use is only for contraceptive measures. Some examples of these medicaments are: isotretinoína accutane, misoprostol, talidomida, raloxifeno, simvastatina o nandrolona, among others.
It is usual that you have doubts or confusions about the usage of medication during pregnancy. Our recommendation is that these questions are always asked to a doctor, so that he can evaluate the needs as well as the medication’s compatibility with the pregnancy stage in which the woman is.