Drugs & Pregnancy
Even ‘over the counter’ medicines can be harmful to your baby, consult a doctor before taking any drugs during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding.
Effects drugs can have on your baby:
Amphetamines - are sometimes found in diet pills, they are stimulants in adults and also stimulate the baby's nervous system. They may cause heart defects and blood diseases.
Anabolic steroids - can be present in treatments for hay fever and skin disorders and even some ointments prescribed for skin irritations. All of these drugs are related to male sex hormones and are used to stimulate appetite, muscle growth and weight gain. They have a masculinising effect on a female foetus.
Antibiotics generally - they do cross the placenta but penicillin would seem to be safe.
Antihistamines - used to treat allergic reactions and present in some travel sickness preparations, could possibly cause some malformations.
Anti-nausea drugs - some have been shown to produce malformation in animal testing. If your nausea is very severe your doctor will know of a safe drug.
Aspirin - can cause miscarriage if taken in large amounts. If taken in the last trimester it can affect the baby's blood-clotting mechanism and can also affect your own blood-clotting mechanism during the birth.
Birth control pills oestrogen, progesterone - can cause malformations of the limbs, defects of the vital organs and masculinisation of the female foetus. Stop taking the pill at least three months before conceiving.
Codeine - used in pain relief and in some cough medicines, it is an addictive drug and can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby at birth. Reported increased incidence of malformations, such as cleft palate and harelip.
Diuretics - these are used to get rid of excess fluid from the body. They make your kidneys work harder. They can cause some blood disorders in the foetus.
Narcotics e.g., cocaine, crack, heroin – can cause fatal addiction, newborn babies suffer agonies of withdrawal and may need a blood transfusion after birth.
Paracetamol – commonly found in cold, headache and painkilling remedies. Can cause damage to the foetus' kidneys and liver. Use with caution during pregnancy.
Progestogens – some pregnancy testing tablets may contain these hormones. They cause masculinisation of the female foetus.
Psychedelic drugs – LSD, mescaline and cannabis - can cause chromosomal damage and therefore risk of miscarriage or malformations. Little is known about the effects of these drugs.
Sex hormones - sometimes given in an effort to stop miscarriage. Can cause masculinisation of the female foetus.
Streptomycin – used to treat tuberculosis. May cause deafness in infants.
Sulphonamides - used to treat urinary infections. Can disturb the developing baby's liver function and cause jaundice at birth.
Tetracycline - may interfere with growth of bones and teeth, causes permanent yellow discolouration of the baby's teeth.
Tranquillizers - some of the stronger types may affect growth and development, causing malformations.
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