Analgesics and anti-inflammatories in pregnancy
There are many drug alternatives that are harmless to the fetus. Avoid NSAIDs, latest generation antidepressants and three common types of antibiotics.
One of the main concerns that plagues women who have learned they are pregnant is taking medications during pregnancy.
There are two common types of gestational female conduct with respect to taking medications during pregnancy: some women eliminate them entirely while just as many continue to use them without criteria. Lack of preparation and misinformation can cause serious doubts in women expecting a child, which almost always remain so and are resolved with 'do it yourself' methods, the most dangerous in a delicate situation such as pregnancy.
Thus it happens that, despite the indications of doctors and gynecologists, pregnant women often decide on their own what to do, refusing to take an indispensable drug in a given circumstance or independently 'prescribing' medicines suitable for treating common but potentially risky diseases if taken during gestation. . Both of these behaviors are wrong especially because today there are certainties and medical rules that can reassure pregnant women and guide them in the intelligent use of drugs even when expecting a baby.
"There is a lot of misinformation on the subject and it is complicated by the fact that the expectant mother often does not feel well advised" says Maurizio Bonati, head of the Laboratory for Maternal and Child Health of the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research, to the magazine 'Top Salute' of the city of the city.
On the one hand it is a fact that the intake of drugs should be limited to a maximum of 9 months of pregnancy. This conduct is not only recommended, but urged by doctors, to prevent and limit the damage that these medicines could cause to the fetus. Yet the total refusal to use the necessary medicines can be equally dangerous for both the mother and the future unborn child. In fact, some pathologies, such as bacterial infections, cardiocirculatory disorders, metabolic alterations, if they are not immediately treated pharmacologically, can represent a threat to the health and sometimes to the life of the child.
Among the dangerous drugs there are also some in common use, such as three types of antibiotics: aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and sulfonamides. The former can be harmful to hearing; the latter can cause dental problems; the latter are harmful to the blood. "There is no lack of harmless alternatives - continues Dr.ssa - e bacterial infections can be safely resolved even in pregnancy. "
A serious danger is represented by NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly used and widespread in the form of analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Fans, explains Dr., "should not be used in the third trimester of pregnancy unless there are specific indications." The risk is that of causing neonatal haemorrhage, cardiac and cardio-circulatory alterations in the fetus.
Absolutely to be avoided except in extreme cases and under strict medical supervision, benzodiazepines, used against anxiety and insomnia, and the latest generation antidepressants, serotonergics, which, if taken in the third trimester, can lead to symptoms of intoxication and withdrawal in the newborn.
