Tips for medication during pregnancy

By Lee Hye-jun

Winter is not a favorite time of the year for pregnant women. A baby bump plus layers of clothing make it hard to keep one’s balance on icy streets. Holiday sales and year-end parties are not as fun as before.

Moreover, it is always cold. Pregnant women fear catching a cold, not only because of fever, headaches and coughs, but also because they are afraid to take medication.

Approximately 13 percent of pregnancies end in abortion due to the concern over medication during early pregnancy. Considering the high rate of unintended pregnancies (50 percent), we can only imagine how many women agonize over the alcohol, medication and cigarettes they took before knowing they were pregnant.

Fortunately, a majority of medicines are known to be safe for use during pregnancy. Alcohol, anticonvulsant, ACE inhibitor, vitamin A, tobacco and cocaine are common substances that can cause malformation of the fetus, called a teratogen.

There are certain antibiotics and antiviral agents that are prohibited during pregnancy, but they can be replaced with relatively safe medications.

Then, what if a woman took some of those teratogens without knowing she was pregnant? Would she need to terminate the pregnancy?

After ovulation, an egg and a sperm fertilize to become an embryo. Then, it takes two weeks to be successfully implanted, which is called the “all or none” period.

A big defect made in an embryo usually leads to death (none). A small injury in an embryo is compensated and continues to develop normally (all).

Therefore, teratogen intake during this period may result in death of embryos rather than malformation. But, after this period, feral malformation can occur more frequently from teratogens.

Many pregnant women suffer through common colds without medication. Although a common cold does not necessarily require medication, some medication can help reduce discomfort.

Pregnant women can also benefit from it as long as they know what medication to take. For example, acetaminophen is relatively safe, but ibuprofen may cause a reversible fetal effect during the third trimester.

Also, penicillin is the safest antibiotic during pregnancy. If possible, visit a doctor for prescribed medications, rather than over-the-counter drugs.

Pregnant women can take medications, even including those with unknown risks, as long as the benefit clearly outweighs the risks.

The first thing we can do is to plan for pregnancy and stay healthy while trying to conceive. The next thing is to take care of yourself wisely. If you suffer, your baby will suffer, too.

For more information and consultation, visit The Korean Motherisk Program (https://www.mothersafe.or.kr/eng—intro.html) or call 02-1588-7309 (toll-free).

The writer is a doctor at Maria Fertility Hospital in Seoul. For further questions, send an e-mail to the writer at hyejunlee@mariababy.com, call the hospital’s English-speaking coordinator at (02) 2250-5577, or visit the hospital’s website, https://eng.mariababy.com/.