List of safe medications during pregnancy

With the improvement of health awareness, especially in terms of drug-induced teratogenesis, more and more women are very cautious about taking medications after pregnancy. Some women develop some pregnancy-related diseases after pregnancy, and some women have diseases before pregnancy. These all require medication treatment. Once improper use of medication during pregnancy, the consequences are very serious. Therefore, you cannot take medications indiscriminately during pregnancy and need to take medications under the guidance of a doctor.

List of safe medications during pregnancy

Effects of drugs on different stages of pregnancy

Medication safety should be a concern throughout pregnancy, but the situation varies at different times. In the ultra-early stage (within 2 weeks of pregnancy), the fertilized egg is in the stage of cell division, and the drug has "all" or "no" effect on the embryo.

The so-called complete means that harmful drugs completely or partially destroy embryonic cells, causing early embryo death and leading to miscarriage. “None” means that the harmful drugs do not damage the embryo or only damage a small number of cells. At this time, the cells have potential multidirectionality in function and can compensate and repair the damaged cells. The embryo can continue to develop without abnormalities.

The 3rd to 12th week of pregnancy is the period of fetal organ formation, which is the most important teratogenic sensitive period. Improper use of drugs can cause serious malformations. During the 10th or 12th to 16th week of pregnancy, drugs may cause cleft lip and palate, genital malformations, etc. in the fetus. After 16 weeks of pregnancy, drugs may cause developmental delay, organ dysfunction, etc.

The following principles and precautions should be followed when taking medication during pregnancy:

First, gestational age must be considered.

The second is to make a clear diagnosis and determine the indications for medication. If other means of treatment are possible, try not to use medication.

The third is to make comprehensive considerations, weigh the pros and cons, choose the appropriate drugs and timing, and develop an individualized medication plan.

When using medication, it is generally necessary to choose drugs that have been on the market for a longer time, because such drugs have been clinically observed for a long time, people have a more comprehensive understanding of their characteristics, and have more experience in using them.

You should also look at the results of animal experiments and clinical research in the drug instructions, and refer to the classification of pregnancy drugs by the US FDA and other countries.

The pharmacokinetics of the drug itself, its placental transport and metabolism can also be used as a reference. For example, drugs with strong lipid solubility are more likely to diffuse into the placenta. It is necessary to consider the appropriate dosage, route and course of treatment, and try to solve the problem with a small dose and short course of treatment.

Fourth, it depends on whether the pregnant woman has other diseases and attention should be paid to the interaction between medications for different diseases.

Special attention should be paid to some drugs that are contraindicated during pregnancy. Some drugs are reproductively toxic, such as thalidomide, isotretinoin, acitretin, leflunomide, vena cava, methotrexate, ribavirin, and other chemotherapy drugs, sedatives, hypnotics, statins, etc.

Pregnancy should be avoided while using these medicines, and even for a period of time after stopping some types of medicines. It is particularly important to point out that statins are currently widely used and deserve attention.