A new study from the United Kingdom concludes that that the whooping cough vaccine is safe for women in their third trimester of pregnancy. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease. Pertussis has recently experienced a rapid increase in infections resulting in the death of some infected newborns. Because of the increase in […] More
The use of antipsychotic medication during pregnancy can affect the health of the baby, says a new seven-year observational study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Although many women take antipsychotic medication during pregnancy to treat various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, major depression, and bipolar disorder, the safety of such drugs on a developing baby […] More
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) are increasingly used by pregnant women to treat pain, fever, and inflammation during the first trimester of pregnancy. Now a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) confirms that women who use NSAIDS during pregnancy do not have an increased […] More
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Genapap, Feverall, Actamin Maximum Strength, Altenol, Aminofen, Apra, Aceta, Tempra, Paracetamol, Apo-Acetaminophen, Panadol, Dymadon, Calpol) is a Category B drug during pregnancy: B. No Evidence of Risk in Humans Adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women have not shown increased risk of fetal abnormalities despite adverse findings in animals, or, in the absence of […] More
Babies exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy may have an increased risk of developing persistent pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs, says a new review study published in the journal BMJ. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a baby does not change from fetal to […] More
Did you use Zofran during pregnancy to combat morning sickness? A fellow blogger recently voiced her concerns about taking the drug due to some fairly new warnings about possible birth defects. My initial response urged her to weight the risks and benefits: “You have to weigh the risks and benefits. How sick are you? Is […] More
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now warning that magnesium sulfate injections may put a pregnant women’s fetus at risk if injections are administered for more than five days. Magnesium sulfate is used to prevent preterm labor as an “off-label” medication, which means that the use is not approved by the FDA. The Food […] More
From Acitretin to Vinorelbine, learn about the most common medications deemed contraindicated during breastfeeding with the following general overview of category L5 drugs. Medication Pregnancy Risk Category Breastfeeding Risk Category Acitretin (Soriatane) X L5 Aliskiren (Tekturna, Valturna, Tekturna HCT) C (first trimester) D (second, third trimester) L3 L5 (in premature infants) Aminopterin X L5 Amiodarone […] More
From Acitretin to Warfarin, learn about the most common medications deemed contraindicated during pregnancy with the following general overview of category X drugs. Medication Pregnancy Risk Category Breastfeeding Risk Category Acitretin (Soriatane) X L5 Aminopterin X L5 Anastrozole (Arimidex) X L5 Atorvastatin (Lipitor, Caduet, Atorvastatin Calcium) X L3 Black Cohosh X L4 Blue Cohosh (Blue […] More
From Acorus Calamus to Zinc Salts, learn about the safety of the most common herbs, minerals, and vitamins during pregnancy and breastfeeding with the following general overview of herbs, minerals, and vitamins. Herb/Mineral/Vitamin Pregnancy Risk Category Breastfeeding Risk Category Acorus Calamus (Sweet Flag Root) Possibly Hazardous L4 Aloe Vera Possibly Hazardous L3 Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbicap, Cecon, […] More
From Anthrax to Yellow Fever, learn about the safety of the most common vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding with the following general overview of vaccines. Vaccine Pregnancy Risk Category Breastfeeding Risk Category Anthrax Vaccine C L3 Cholera Vaccine (Dukoral) C L3 Diphtheria + Tetanus + Pertussis Vaccine (DTap/Tdap/DTP) B L2 Diphtheria + Tentanus Vaccine (DT, […] More
From Zafirlukast to Zuclopenthixol, learn about the safety of the most common medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding with the following general overview of drugs that begin with the letter Z. Medication Pregnancy Risk Category Breastfeeding Risk Category Zafirlukast (Accolate) B L3 Zaleplon (Sonata, Starnoc) C L2 Zanamivir (Relenza) C L3 Zidovudine (Retrovir, Combivir, Novo-Azt) C L3 […] More
