Almost everything that you put into your body during pregnancy is shared with baby. This includes food, drinks, and medication. Some medications aren’t recommended to use while you are pregnant because of the side effects and birth defects that can affect your baby in the womb and after birth.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safe medication categories guideline for pregnant women when choosing over the counter medicines that are available in pharmacies and OB-GYN offices. This can help you and your doctor make important decisions on whether or not certain drugs would benefit you without the risk of hurting your baby. You can also talk to your local pharmacist more in depth about particular drugs or for better explanation on the categories of drugs.
For example, Category A drugs have been tested and show no harmful side effects for the fetus. These drugs include prenatal vitamins (well, that’s a good thing!), folic acid and most vitamins.
Category B drugs are often used in pregnancy and are considered to have no significant adverse effects in human fetuses. These medications include acetaminophen, amoxicillin and antihistamines.
Category C drugs indicate that there is no known human data for testing these medicines, or the tests were inadequate. Animal reproductions have shown adverse effects on the fetus, however some of these Category C drugs are used for their potential benefits despite the potential risks to the fetus.
In Category D medications there are evidences of fetal risk, however benefits can outweigh the risk to the fetus. This happens in cases such as an infection or illness to the mother than can cause more harm than taking the medication to treat it.
Category X drugs are those that should never be taken during pregnancy, because risks totally outweigh any benefits. A medication bottle may warn against taking a medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding, but talk to a pharmacist about over the counter drugs to find out which category the medication is in before buying it.
This information is a useful tool to use to decide whether or not to take a certain medication during pregnancy, especially in choosing whether or not to take over the counter (or OTC) drugs. Nonetheless, it should never be the only guide you use to decide whether or not to use a medication. Always consult your obstetrician or midwife before taking any medication, because they will have more information on the risks of taking them.
Emily Sutherlin - Emily has been writing on a variety of topics since 2007. She uses only the most credible sources to bring information to her readers.
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