Pregnant women around the world have been surveyed to take over-the-counter medicines at least once during their period of pregnancy. The medicine could be either supplement for a vitamin deficiency or added vitamins to revitalize the body, or it can be folic acid that can prevent any defects during childbirth. It can also be iron supplements.
The drugs can also be to ward away common physical ailments like coughs and colds. Medications can also be taken for a pre-existing condition as in diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid or cholesterol.
The importance of a counsel:
It is always wise and also a necessity to consult the doctor before taking any medicine in times of pregnancy. It is necessary to stick to dosages and not take lesser or more. A lesser dose may not have the expected outcome and taking medicine would be of no us eventually. A higher dose can result in disastrous consequences resulting in emergency conditions. The Physician’s Desk reference provided is never trustworthy enough to protect the patient at all conditions. It holds well in protecting the manufacturer and not the consumer.
Therefore it is always safe to follow the physician’s guidance and which is to be followed strictly in case of pregnancy. the Columbia Asia Whitefield Gynecologist advises that when taking medicines during pregnancy, it is necessary to consider the plight of the fetus inside the womb. The baby will not have a well-developed liver or kidneys and will not be able to eliminate the drug taken as efficiently as the mother as a result of which over-the-counter drugs cannot be advised in case of pregnant conditions. At the same time, a sick mother is not good for the baby either. Under such conditions, it is advisable to visit the consulting physician and get medicines prescribed for the ailment. Another important point is to avoid taking medicines when trying to get pregnant as the first month is critical to the development and drug use can hinder the process.
Three golden rules:
There are three major risks to taking over-the-counter drugs. The first one is untreated illnesses can lead to birth defects, the most common conditions being epilepsy or depression. These are the conditions that need attention. The second risk posing a major threat is the sensitive time points during pregnancy during which any medicines can pose a considerable threat or not to the development of the fetus. The most common time to approach a physician for medication will be a little before getting pregnant as any medication will not change the baseline pregnancy complications that come along with a birth defect. The following points provide a clear idea on the most important critical time points when pregnant and the effects of medication during such times.
-
The medications risks are minimal during the first four weeks or less. During this phase, there will be no organ development and no blood flow connecting the mother and fetus.
-
The first four to ten weeks are crucial, and exposure to adverse medication or over-the-counter drugs can cause irrevocable damage to the development of the fetus. This is the development phase for different organs and arms and legs. Unwanted or harmful medication can impair growth and development leaving the child crippled for life.
-
Nutrition is required for growth and development during eleven to twenty-six weeks, and the effects of being on medication will be minimal during this period.
-
The period between twenty seventh and fortieth weeks is crucial. This is the time wherein the organs practice to function efficiently and effectively, and this is when the developed organs get stronger. Though the organs have started to function, they are immature and cannot hold highly toxic levels of medication or adverse reactions. This can lead to developmental immaturity causing toxicity or postpartum withdrawal effects.
-
The third and final point is to get medicated under a physician’s consultation who will know the dosage in which a medicine ought to be administered in order to avoid birth defects.
Drugs and categories:
Research says the medicines do lesser harm to pregnancy than conditions wherein the ailments are left untreated. There are five categories of drugs classified by FDA namely A, B, C, D, E, and X. The harmfulness of the drugs increases from A to X. A few developed countries have provided hotline numbers for pregnant women to get in touch with physicians. When in confusion or under emergency conditions, this facility can be utilized.
Some people may consider that vitamins are needed for development and supplement themselves with vitamin capsules. Research states that high doses of vitamin A (more than 5000 IU/day) can produce harmful effects. Therefore, it is necessary to take tests that ensure deficiency and even when there is a vitamin deficiency; it is necessary to get the supplement and its dosage prescribed by a physician. It is also necessary for a patient and her physician to know the list of drugs that can pose potential health risks to the mother and the baby when pregnant. Aspirin, ibuprofen and a few medicines otherwise taken for blood pressure conditions can pose serious health risks to the mother and the baby. It is important to note that even chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer is not harmful to the fetus when done during the second and third trimesters.
The following consists of a list of medicines researched and announced to be harmful during times of pregnancy,
-
A few anticancer drugs.
-
A few drugs are being taken to avoid rheumatoid arthritis which can be immune-modifying and can adversely affect fetal immunity.
-
Vitamin A supplements can cause deformation in the brain, spinal cord, heart, and head.
-
High doses of alcohol.
-
Thalidomide used in early 1950-s had caused severe limb defects and is not under use these days.
-
A few epilepsy drugs can also cause severe birth defects, and it is important to request a physician’s advice I such cases.
Home remedies:
Some people have also gotten into the habit of taking herbs or home remedies for ailments during pregnancy and other times. They believe that a concoction of herbs would be a great way to simultaneously keep the disease at bay and safe for intake. The most important point to be noted is that it is not mandatory for an herb to be safe just because it is natural. Natural medicines or herbs can trigger allergies, and a few of them may even be toxic for intake. There is an entire list of herbs that should be avoided when pregnant namely, black cohosh root, senna, comfrey, sage, cotton root bark, coltsfoot, juniper, pennyroyal, cascara sagrada, tansy, rue, mugwort, buckthorn, goldenseal, particularly those that have strong laxative nature can result in uterine contractions and few could block conception. This could serve to have worse implications than taking prescribed medicines.
Other common ailments:
When visiting the physician for consultations, it is necessary to disclose the list of common ailments the patient has a history of. The doctor should themselves prescribe for a test or must provide the patient with a questionnaire, or the patient should be capable of communicating with the physician. This is a very important point that is to be noted and strictly followed. The following is a list of common conditions that the patient should be aware of, blood pressure conditions, asthma, diabetes, pneumonia, etc.
Abnormal rest or sleep is an important non-drug condition that should be addressed. There are safe and pregnancy-approved medicines for a good sleep that can be advised by a doctor for this situation. But it is always important to follow a healthy lifestyle so that medication can be avoided for this condition. The mental health of the mother also plays a major role in the wellbeing of the fetus. The fetus is considered to be responsive to both the physical and mental health of the mother. Therefore it is necessary to take care of the health of the mother on all levels. Pregnancy can lead to major hormonal changes resulting in depression. Many antidepressants have come up on the shelves and are considered to be harmless to the fetus and are being encouraged by the physicians to be taken and are being announced as perfectly safe.
There are many medicines that can aid in safer pregnancy. Birth defects or deformities induced through medication has been overestimated in modern times. There have been developed many medicines that ensure safe pregnancy when the person sticks to dosage and other conditions as prescribed by the doctor. Self-medication and any medication whether natural or concocted can prove harmful when taken without consulting expertise. It should also be taken into account that the most important and intelligent method would be to get a major health analysis done before ensuring pregnancy. This can assure to eliminate major health risks to the fetus and the mother during the different stages of development. It is always important to keep medication only for developments that happen unexpectedly when pregnant and not to jump into the pregnancy when the mother is not healthy enough to withstand a pregnancy. It is also important to pertain to the right kind of counsel, specialized physicians and to keep themselves educated. Read how to deal with depression.
Leave a Reply