From the moment you think about getting pregnant you probably start worrying about everything that goes into your mouth, medication, food or otherwise. This is a very healthy attitude. During this preconception time it is important to discuss with your doctor or midwife any medications that you are taking or plan to take during pregnancy.
While most women remember to talk about their prescriptions and chronic illnesses, they often forget to discuss over the counter products like pain relievers that are taken on an occasional basis. This can be a very harmful mistake.
Recently a study pulished reported that women who took Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the first trimester had a nearly double rate of certain types of heart defects The five most common types of NSAIDs filled in the study, which accounted for 95% of all the NSAIDs taken, were:
- Aleve® (naproxen)
- Advil® (ibuprofen)
- Vioxx® (rofecoxib)
- Celebrex® (celecoxib)
- Cataflam® or Arthrotec® (diclofenac)
There are other types of NSAIDs probably floating around your medicine cabinet, including:
- Aspirin (multiple manufacterers)
- Ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®, Motrin IB®)
- Naproxen (Naprosyn®, Aleve®)
- Nabumetone (Relafen®)
Sources: Ofori, B., et al "Risk of Congenital Anomalies in Pregnant Users of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: A Nested Case-Control Study" Birth Defects Research Part B 2006; DOI: 10.1002/bdrb.200085.
