Using doctor prescribed painkillers by women of child bearing age, face double the risk of serious birth defects in babies than their counterparts.
Many women are unaware that prescription opioid-based medications such as codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, or morphine, used to treat severe pain, may increase the risk for birth defects of the baby's brain, spine, and heart, as well as preterm birth when taken during pregnancy. Use of these medications also can cause babies to suffer withdrawal symptoms when born, a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS.
Drug Abuse in Pregnancy
Drug abuse during pregnancy has an adverse effect on the mother as well as the fetus. It is advisable to stop usage of illicit drugs well before pregnancy.
Advertisement
Since half of all pregnancies are unplanned, women may be prescribed opioid-based pain medications before they or their health care providers know they are pregnant. "This highlights the importance of promoting safer alternative treatments, when available for women of reproductive age. We must do what we can to protect babies from exposure to opioids," stated Coleen A. Boyle, PhD, MSHyg, Director of CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD).
Pediatrician Jose F. Cordero added that if a person was using an opioid pain killer, they should also be practicing effective birth control, and when they decide to get pregnant or do become pregnant, they should consult their health care provider about all the medications they were taking right away.
The findings are published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Source: ANI
The findings are published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Source: ANI
Opioids in Pregnancy: Are They Safe?
Researchers suggest that opioids should be used with caution in pregnant women.
Advertisement
 ‘Safe' Painkiller That is Turning Unsuspecting Women into Drug AddictsWarning! Overloading on the painkillers may turn you into a drug addict, a new review claims. | Advertisement
|
Quiz on Painkillers
The analgesics you are taking may cause debilitating side effects. Take this quiz on painkillers, know your NSAIDs and opioids.
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Women Health News
An AI tool called Flan-T5 identified postpartum hemorrhage with 95% precision and detected 47% patients with the condition.
Active surveillance of cervical lesions was associated with higher cervical cancer risk in the long term compared to its removal.
Japan initiated the trial of selling morning-after contraceptive tablets over-the-counter in an effort to lower abortion rates and solace for rape victims.
The rising number of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among Indian women can be attributed primarily to social stigma and a lack of awareness.
Pregnant women with Sjogren's or lupus syndrome have elevated anti-Ro/SSA antibodies which are linked to fetal atrioventricular block in the heart.