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Pregnant? Breastfeeding? Better Drug Information Is Coming
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Key Findings: Antihistamines and Birth Defects
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Key Findings: Prescription Medication Use among Women in the United States, 1999-2006
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New study looks at opioid use and neural tube defects.
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Key Findings: Websites provide inconsistent guidance for medication in pregnancy.
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How much do we know? Common medicines and pregnancy
CDC and partners are working to provide better information to women and their healthcare providers about medication use during pregnancy. CDC’s focus on medications in pregnancy is an initiative called Treating for Two: Safer Medication Use in Pregnancy. This initiative aims to prevent birth defects and improve the health of mothers by working to identify the best alternatives for treatment of common conditions during pregnancy and during the childbearing years.
An article co-written by CDC scientists was recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The article summarizes a 2013 expert meeting held by CDC to discuss best methods for evaluating the safety of medications used to manage health conditions during pregnancy. You can read more about the meeting here or read the article’s abstract here.
BEFORE PREGNANCY
If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, it is not too early to start getting ready for pregnancy. Talk to your doctor now about medications you are taking.
DURING PREGNANCY
Talk to your doctor about all medications and herbal or dietary supplements you’re taking or planning to take, so you can make sure you’re taking only what is necessary.
DURING BREASTFEEDING
If you are breastfeeding, this database can provide information about medications you might be exposed to.
- Page last reviewed: June 6, 2014
- Page last updated: June 6, 2014
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