Introduction

It is a fact of life that many - probably most - pregnant women are prescribed medicine for brief or even prolonged periods during their pregnancy. It is also true that since the 1960s and 70s, medication use during pregnancy has significantly declined.

Prescription drugs used mostly include the common supplements, such as iron and folic acid. Also used commonly are drugs to combat "morning sickness" (anti-emetics), painkillers and laxatives to combat the common complaint of constipation.

Antibiotics are also frequently prescribed, especially for urinary tract infections, a relatively common problem in pregnancy. There are several other groups of drugs used during pregnancy.

As a general, rather sweeping, statement: The majority of drugs prescribed during pregnancy are perfectly safe for the majority of women. A significant proportion of pregnant women throughout the world use iron. It is safe. However, it may not be safe for women with conditions such as sickle cell disease or thalassaemia, common among people of African and Mediterranean descent respectively. These facts need to -be established. Penicillin is a widely used antibiotic that is quite safe at any stage of the pregnancy, but some people are allergic to them - so such facts need to be established as well.

Some antibiotics are unsafe only at a certain stage of pregnancy, so the doctor needs to be sure of the gestation when prescribing them.