A new study by the Boston University’s School of Medicine could give more precise and factual information to pregnant women about what is safe for them to take and what is not.
Many women generally think that over the counter is OK to take during pregnancy and that prescription medication is not.
However, even something as commonly used Advil is not OK to take during certain stages of pregnancy.
The fact is that most drugs available have not been tested specifically on pregnant women to see what effect they have on the baby.
This is because this is unethical and also women are unlikely to submit to tests to see if something is going to harm their child.
So much on this topic is in the realm of the unknown and even the data that we have is “not great†according to Dr. Tara Dumont of Boston Medical Center.
The proposed study will be a long term one tracking thousands of women over several years: it will track the drugs that pregnant women take, including vaccines, herbal medications, and over the counter medications. This will help women be better informed about what is safe and unsafe to take during pregnancy.
Source: wbur
There are numerous resources available already in print that have tracked the use of prescription and OTC medications in pregnancy. The right answer though is women should always speak with the physicians before taking any medications, including OTC meds. This includes creams/lotions. Most of us provide patients with a quick list that they can keep handy for various ailments, so the right answer is before you use anything, either orally or topically, talk to your doctor!