When the woman is brewing a new life, any medication, both those sold by prescription and those that are not, they could reach the baby through the placenta and hurt him, so the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends not taking drugs during pregnancy.
The greatest risk occurs at the beginning of pregnancy, between weeks three and eight, during the period of organogenesis, when the main fetal structures are formed. But what happens if the pregnant woman needs these medicines for her own health? What are the medications prohibited during pregnancy?
It will be the gynecologist or the attending physician in your case who, after a review of the patient, can determine the best solution for your condition or discomfort, as well as explain the risks or benefits of taking certain drugs.
"What is clear is that any information and consultation related to the administration of medications should always be done to a specialist, fleeing from self-diagnosis and self-medication, and even those neighbors, friends and family members who prescribe on their own, based on their own experience, ”says Dr. Elkin Muñoz, director of the IVI Vigo and A Coruña clinics.
“There is a large percentage of medications that reach the fetus through the placenta, in the same way that oxygen and food do. Thus, they can impair the proper development of the fetus and cause injury or even death. In the same way, they can influence the placenta, generating problems such as low birth weight or less development in the future baby. Other types of drugs, on the other hand, can cause premature births due to a mechanism of contraction of the muscles of the uterus. Hence the importance of dispensing with medication intake during pregnancy, except in cases where it is absolutely necessary for the mother's good health, ”explains the doctor.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). classify in five types, depending on the risks it represents during pregnancy:
A class: Studies in women revealed that there is no risk to the fetus during the first trimester. Therefore, these medications can be considered safe during pregnancy. Among them are: folic acid, vitamin B6, ascorbic acid, iron, calcium, potassium and levothyroxine in prescribed doses.
Class B: Animal studies revealed that there is no risk to the fetus during the first trimester. It refers to medications that have been frequently used during pregnancy and do not appear to cause serious birth defects and other damage to the fetus. Highlights include: acetaminophenol, aspartate, corticosteroids, insulin, amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, azithromycin and ibuprofen (it is better to avoid the latter after the 32nd week of gestation).
C class: Animal studies revealed that there are harmful effects on the fetus, and such drugs should only be used when the benefit can justify that risk. Also included here are those medications whose safety studies have not been completed. Normally, these drugs come with a label that warns of the risks, and some of them are: prochlorperazine, Amikacin, Atenolol, Beclomethasone, Betamethasone, Caffeine, Carbamazepine, Codeine, Clonazepam, Fluconazole, Ketorolac, Dexamethasone, Immunoglobulin Anti RH (D) , and ciproflozacin.
Class D: Animal studies revealed that there may be a risk to the fetus. In a situation of serious risk to the mother, its administration is accepted if no other safer drug is available: Acenocoumarol, Acetylsalicylic Acid, Diazepam, Valproic, lithium, phenytoin, some chemotherapeutic agents (Bleomycin, Methotrexate) and alcohol.
Class X: Studies in women and animals revealed the existence of risk in the fetus. There is no benefit on the pregnant woman and its use is totally contraindicated during pregnancy. Some medications that are part of this category are: Isotretinoin Accutane, Misoprostol, Thalidomide, Raloxifene, Simvastatin or Nandrolone, among others.
The most dangerous drugs
According to the specialist, omeprazole, antihypertensives, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives They are some of the most dangerous drugs during pregnancy.
However, there are other medications that a pregnant woman can consume without any risk, and that will help relieve the discomfort she may experience during pregnancy and the first months of motherhood.
In addition to medications, we should not ignore the effects that some vaccines can have on the fetus and placenta, such as measles, chicken pox, rubella, mumps, polio and yellow fever.
And in breastfeeding?
As in pregnancy, during breastfeeding, special care must be taken with medications and their effects on the baby. In this regard, the FDA establishes three categories of drugs for administration during breastfeeding:
YES: Can be administered without any risk to the baby
NO: Its use is not recommended, or breastfeeding should be interrupted during drug administration.
ND: There is no information about it.
However, it is common that doubts arise about the safety of certain drugs as the mother's needs appear regarding their use during the puerperium and the first months of the baby's life (provided that breastfeeding has been chosen and there is a risk that these drugs influence in some way the correct development of the newborn).
To resolve these types of questions, the pediatrician should always be consulted, who is the one who best knows the compatibility between medications and breastfeeding. The web www.e-lactancia.org, for its part, is a space that also helps clear up doubts regarding the influence of certain drugs on breastfeeding.
