Medicines during pregnancy: forbidden to self-treat !

Medicines during pregnancy: forbidden to self-treat ! 


The drugs act directly on the fetus, influencing its development and, sometimes, can produce malformations and deformities.

Medicines during pregnancy: forbidden to self-treat !

• In today's article we want to talk about the risks associated with taking medicines during pregnancy, both for the fetus and for the mother.

We believe it is important to participate in this campaign to raise awareness among the pregnant female population, and to inform about the risk of self-treatment and consumption of drugs in this delicate phase of life, to avoid irreversible damage to the future baby.

The use of medicines in pregnancy without medical supervision, including even herbal medicines, is not recommended. In fact, everything the mother ingests arrives in the bloodstream and passes to the fetus, in the same way as the essential nutrients pass to its development.

Risks associated with the consumption of medicines during pregnancy

This recommendation stems from the alarm raised by various health organisations, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), which estimate that 90% of pregnant women consume drugs or over-the-counter products, causing about 3% of congenital fetal abnormalities .

Consumption of medicines without a prescription during pregnancy can endanger the health of the fetus and, in the most extreme cases, can even cause death.

This is an extremely delicate subject and, for this very reason, we must be aware of what we are doing when we are about to take a drug during pregnancy. Let's see the reasons:

• The drugs act directly on the fetus, influencing its development and, sometimes, can produce malformations and deformities: an effect known as "teratogenic effect ".                  
• The active ingredients of the medicines attack the blood vessels of the placenta, reducing the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between the fetus and the mother.                                                 
• They cause contractions of the uterine muscle and decrease the amount of blood that the fetus must receive, causing congenital anomalies .

However, in every trimester of pregnancy, the risk derived from taking drugs is different and will depend on the age of the fetus, the type of medicine, its potency and the dose taken.

First quarter

During this time the development of the organs takes place, which is why the fetus is extremely vulnerable to everything it receives through the  mother's placenta .

At this stage, the risk of contracting a health problem is high.
After this period, it is likely that taking medicines will not cause obvious genetic abnormalities, but could alter tissue growth and function.

Second quarter

In this phase, the consumption of drugs can seriously affect the growth of the baby and the development of its nervous system.

Third quarter

In this last period of pregnancy, taking medications increases the risk of the baby's respiratory complications after delivery.

Golden rule: take only the medicines prescribed by your doctor, in the quantities and doses indicated . Only then will you reduce any risks to the fetus.

Medicines in pregnancy: which to avoid

It should be noted that some drugs can cause serious birth defects to the fetus, which is why these medicines must absolutely be avoided during pregnancy. Let's see what they are:

• Aspirin and non-steroidal analgesics
• Anxiolytics and antidepressants
• Opioid analgesics, barbiturates
• Gastric protectors
• Antispasmic and antiepileptic
• Lithium
• Diuretics and anabolics
• Antibiotics such as tetracycline or aminoglycosides
• Retinoic acid
• Radioactive iodine and methimazole (used to treatthyroid problems )
• Some drugs for acne and other skin problems, such as isotetrinoin and heterinate
• Oncological chemotherapy (cytostatic drugs)
• Sex hormones, such as synthetic progestogens, androgenic hormones and diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen
• Amphetamines
• Anticoagulants, some drugs against cardiac and antihypertensive arrhythmias
• Some medicines to combat hair loss

Vaccines in pregnancy

Although vaccines protect the body from many viral diseases, it is also true that, during pregnancy, it is not recommended to undergo vaccination.


In fact, most vaccines contain active viruses that could cause infections of the placenta and fetus.
The decision to administer a vaccine  will depend on the imminent risk situation to which the future mother is exposed, evaluated by her doctor.

General recommendations on the use of medicines

Pregnancy is a fairly long period, during which women are exposed to constant hormonal changes and it is possible that, at some point, the administration of medicines is necessary.


Whether it is a pathology related to the pregnancy itself or a chronic disease, we recommend:

• Maintain constant communication with the primary care physician
• Evaluate together the "risk / benefit" relationship before making the decision to treat the disease with the corresponding drugs, taking into consideration the therapeutic dose and the treatment period.
• Avoid drugs with multiple active ingredients in their composition.
• Avoid, as far as possible, recently commercialised drugs.

It is important to remember that prevention can help you get through a happy pregnancy and have a healthy baby, without having to resort to medication.




thanks for the time .