Does taking medicine have any effect on pregnancy?

Most women don’t know they are pregnant until they are pregnant. If they get sick during the early stages of pregnancy, they will try all kinds of medicines to treat their illnesses. But when they find out they are pregnant, they become particularly worried that the medicines they take will affect the fetus. So, will taking medicines during pregnancy have any effect?

Effects of medication during pregnancy on the fetus

Drugs may have an effect on the fetus, but not all drugs have an effect on the fetus. In order to find out which drugs have teratogenic effects on the fetus, relevant experts have conducted a large number of animal experiments and long-term clinical observations, and summarized certain rules. Drugs are divided into five levels according to the degree of possible danger and adverse effects on the fetus. Once you have mastered the five levels, you can use the drugs according to the situation.

Grade A has been proven to have no adverse effects on the human fetus and is the safest. Such as anti-thyroid hormone thyroid tablets.

Class B means there is no evidence of harm to the fetus, but animal experiments may be harmful to the fetus. Such as penicillin, cefazolin (cefotaxime V), ceftriaxone (cefotaxime), spectinomycin (spectinomycin), erythromycin, lincomycin (lincomycin), clindamycin (clomiphene citrate), sulfamethoxazole (sulfamethoxazole), ethambutol, metronidazole, etc. in anti-infective drugs; magnesium sulfate in antihypertensive drugs; insulin in hypoglycemic drugs; prednisone in hormones; and indomethacin, etc.

Class C means that harmfulness cannot be ruled out; animal experiments may be harmful to the fetus (teratogenic or lethal), but the experiment has not been adequately studied on humans, or the benefits to pregnant women outweigh the harm to the fetus. Such as anti-infective drugs such as gentamicin, tobramycin, spiramycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, methoxybenzidine, isoniazid (remifone), etc.; antihypertensive drugs such as nitroglycerin, sodium succinate, nimodipine, etc.; antipyretic aspirin; aminophylline, ephedrine, and salbutamol for treating asthma; dexamethasone among hormones; as well as heparin, rabies vaccine, plague vaccine, etc.

Level D is for drugs that have clear evidence of harm to the human fetus, but the benefits of treating the disease in pregnant women clearly outweigh the risks of the drug. It can be used if the pregnant woman's condition is serious and other safe drugs are ineffective. Such as streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, minocycline hydrochloride (minocycline) in anti-infective drugs; captopril in antihypertensive drugs; luminal and diazepam in nervous system drugs; hydrochlorothiazine for diuretics; as well as potassium iodide, warfarin and anti-cancer drugs.

Class X drugs are harmful to human or animal fetuses and should not be used by women who are pregnant or about to become pregnant. Such as ribavirin in anti-infective drugs, diethylstilbestrol, mifepristone, clomiphene, and danazol in hormones; as well as measles vaccine, mumps vaccine, vaccinia vaccine, rubella virus vaccine, etc.