This is an automatically translated article.
Article by Pharmacist Bui Thi Thanh Ha - Clinical Pharmacist - Faculty of Pharmacy - Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Finding out you're pregnant is an unexpected and emotional event for most women. Many people burst with joy, but there are also worries and fears, especially when they find out they are pregnant and are taking one or more medications. Pregnant women are often very worried that the medicine could harm the baby. Many people want to stop taking all medications they are taking to avoid drugs affecting the fetus. Some people even decide to have an abortion, thinking that the baby is at risk of birth defects because of the drugs that the mother is taking. The anxiety and fear of the mother is completely understandable, but the mother needs to discuss specifically with the medical staff first to make the best decision. So is it safe to use drugs during pregnancy?
1. Weigh the benefits and risks of using drugs during pregnancy
Up to 90% of women are still using at least 1 medication during pregnancy and 70% are using at least 1 prescription drug. There are many drugs with different effects, so we need to understand:
What is this drug for? What are the risks of not taking the drug? What is the risk to the fetus if the mother continues to take the drug? Your doctor will need to talk to you carefully and weigh the benefits and risks. For example, if a woman has an artificial heart valve and is taking anticoagulants. In fact, some anticoagulants can cause birth defects in the fetus, but if a woman stops taking them herself, it can be life-threatening.
Same goes for a woman taking epilepsy medication. Arbitrarily stopping the drug when she found out she was pregnant could increase her risk of having a seizure. Seizures will adversely affect not only the mother but also the baby. In these cases, the doctor will specifically weigh the risks of the drug that the patient is taking to be able to continue with the old medication or change to a safer drug.
Watch now: Can epilepsy drugs affect my ability to have children later?
Các mẹ cần cân nhắc trong việc sử dụng thuốc khi mang thai
2. Does using drugs for pregnant women really affect the fetus?
Even if a pregnant woman does not take any medication, there is at least a 2% chance that the baby will be born with some kind of birth defect. Thus, the risk of malformations is also relatively high, even if no specific cause is detected.
Although, some drugs can increase the risk of birth defects, very few drugs actually cause birth defects in more than 100% of use cases. There are many factors that affect the potential for malformations of a drug, including the nature of the drug, how long you take it, the dose, and the route of administration. The risk of harm to the fetus can never be reduced to 0%, but your doctor will carefully discuss with you to balance the benefits and risks to choose and make the most appropriate decision. Remember, not taking any medicine to treat a disease in the mother can also harm the unborn baby.
Watch now: Is it dangerous to use antibiotics during pregnancy?
3. What drugs should not be used during pregnancy?
A lot of women of childbearing age use acne medication. However, many acne medications have the potential to affect the fetus, including drugs derived from vitamin A such as isotretinoin, tretinoin ... You need to make sure to use birth control pills while using the drug and at least 3 months after stopping the drug. If you find out that you are pregnant while taking these drugs, stop taking them immediately and contact your obstetrician for advice.
Chronic diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, epilepsy, depression all need to be treated regularly and continuously. Medicines commonly used to treat chronic conditions can affect the fetus, so you should use contraception while using them. When planning to become pregnant, you should talk with your doctor to be able to switch to using drugs during pregnancy in the safest and most effective way.
Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for examination, treatment and prevention of diseases. When performing the examination process at Vinmec, customers will be welcomed and used modern facilities and equipment along with perfect medical services under the guidance and advice of experts. Good doctors, well-trained both at home and abroad.
In case a pregnant woman needs to use antibiotics to treat diseases, the doctors at Vinmec will provide a treatment plan, and advise and guide the patient to use the drug effectively, avoiding abuse. , indiscriminate use of antibiotics causes unwanted side effects such as antibiotic resistance or affects the fetus.
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