Medications in pregnancy
Paulus, W.
MMW Fortschritte der Medizin 147(16): 37-40
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1438-3276 PMID: 16392399 Document Number: 589609
Exaggerated caution or even deferment in the treatment of chronically ill mothers-to-be, for example, in the case of epilepsy, hypertension or bronchial asthma, may result in a dramatic worsening of the underlying disease and thus may threaten the further development of the fetus. On the other hand, an inadequate knowledge of the true risks of pharmacological treatment already applied in the early stages of pregnancy, leads to numerous abortions that are inappropriately indicated. As a basic rule, when planning pharmacological treatment in a pregnant woman, well tried and tested substances should be given preference over new drugs. If a pregnant woman has been exposed to an insufficiently tested substance as a result of ignorance of her pregnancy, recognized centers with appropriate data banks (www.reprotox.de) should be consulted.