FDA Office of Women's Health: Medicines and Pregnancy

This article will help you learn more about how medicines may affect you and your baby.

Are you pregnant and taking medicine? You are not alone. There are about 6 million pregnancies each year in the United States, and 80% of pregnant women report taking at least one medicine. Some may be treating a health condition they had before pregnancy, while others take medicine for health problems such as diabetes, morning sickness, or high blood pressure that may begin or worsen during pregnancy. Still others take medicine or get vaccinated before they find out they are pregnant.

Pregnancy can be an exciting time. It can also make you uneasy if you are unsure whether the medicine you are taking will affect the developing fetus. Many medicines can be used safely during pregnancy. For others, there may be less information about whether they are safe to use during pregnancy.

Here are some tips to help you learn more about how prescription and over-the-counter medicines may affect you and your baby.

1. Always consult your healthcare provider before taking any medicine, dietary supplement, or vitamin.

When talking with your healthcare provider, consider asking the following questions:

- Do I need to change my medicine if I want to become pregnant or find out I am pregnant? Before pregnancy, work with your healthcare provider to make a plan to help you use medicines safely.

- How will this medicine affect my pregnancy? Ask your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of taking this medicine.

- Are there medicines and supplements I should avoid? Some medicines may harm the developing fetus at different stages of pregnancy. Your healthcare provider may have you take other medicines during pregnancy.

- Do I need to take more or less medicine? When you are pregnant, your heart and kidneys work harder. This may cause some medicines to pass through your body faster than usual.

- Can I continue taking this medicine after I start breastfeeding? Some medicines enter your breast milk and may affect your baby.

- What medicine should I take during pregnancy? Ask your healthcare provider which medicines you should take during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Prenatal Vitamins

Talk with your healthcare provider about taking prenatal vitamins. Some prenatal vitamins may contain too much or too little of the vitamins you may need during pregnancy.

What is folic acid? Folic acid helps prevent birth defects of the baby's brain or spine. Ask your healthcare provider how much folic acid you should take before and during the first half of pregnancy.

2. Review the label

Check the medicine label and other information you get with the medicine to understand the possible risks during pregnancy. The label tells you the known information about how the medicine may affect you and your developing fetus. Prescription drug labels contain useful information about the medicine's risks during pregnancy. The label may also contain information about whether the medicine enters breast milk and how it may affect the baby.

3. Evaluate online information

Ask your healthcare provider about information you read online. Some websites say certain medicines are safe or unsafe to take during pregnancy. You should always consult your healthcare provider first. Do not believe a product is safe just because it says "natural."

Marijuana, CBD, and THC

The FDA wants to make sure individuals are aware of the serious risks of using marijuana products, including cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding/nursing, due to potential risks to you and your newborn.

Using any form of marijuana product during pregnancy can affect the fetus's brain development and increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, and possible stillbirth in newborns. Breast milk can contain THC for up to six days after use. Consuming breast milk containing THC may affect the newborn's brain development and lead to hyperactivity, poor cognitive function, and other long-term consequences. Studies show you also face risks such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and placental abruption.

Marijuana products claimed or marketed as treatments to relieve pain, anxiety, or morning sickness are not approved by the FDA and are sold with unproven claims.

4. Report problems

First, tell your healthcare provider about any problems with your medicine. Also, tell the FDA about any serious problems you experience after taking the medicine.

Which products are FDA-regulated

You should report problems such as serious side effects and product quality issues. You should also report product use errors related to unclear use or dosage instructions, such as accidentally taking the wrong dose or wrong medicine. Report problems or use errors with the following products:

- Human drugs, including vaccines

- Medical devices

- Blood products and other biologics

- Medical foods prescribed by a healthcare provider to help manage a disease or health condition (this does not include meal replacements or weight-loss shakes)

Types of problems you should report to FDA MedWatch

- Unexpected side effects or adverse events

- Product quality issues

- Preventable product use/medication errors

- Treatment failure

How to report

- Call 1-800-FDA-1088 to have a report form mailed to you.

- Report problems to the FDA online. Learn more about reporting problems to the FDA.

- For vaccines, report online to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Voluntarily enroll in a pregnancy exposure registry

A pregnancy exposure registry is a study designed to collect information about the possible effects on you and your developing fetus of prescription drugs taken or vaccines received during pregnancy. These studies collect information from pregnant women who are taking or have taken a certain medicine or received a certain vaccine during pregnancy. Some pregnancy exposure registries collect information from women who are pregnant but have not taken a certain medicine or received a certain vaccine. Some pregnancy exposure registry studies also collect information for a period after the newborn is born.

You can voluntarily join a pregnancy exposure registry (if one is open and enrolling). The information collected can help healthcare providers and pregnant women learn more about the safety of medicines and vaccines used during pregnancy.

- Help other pregnant people by sharing your experience with medicines and vaccines.

- You will be asked to provide information about your health and possibly your baby's health.

The FDA has a list of ongoing pregnancy exposure registries on its website but does not conduct pregnancy exposure registry studies. Pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs and vaccines are usually responsible for the pregnancy exposure registries of their products. Sometimes these studies are conducted by other researchers. See if there is a pregnancy registry study for your medicine or vaccine.