Medication Use In Pregnancy Research Articles

Maternal autoimmune disease is not associated with cancer in the offspring.

Autoimmune disease and its medication are associated with increased cancer risk in adults, but it is unknown whether maternal autoimmune disease and/or medication use in pregnancy are associated with increased cancer risk in offspring. In this case-control study, we identified all patients under 20years of age with their first cancer diagnosis in 1996-2014 from the Finnish Cancer Registry (n=2029) and 1:5 population-based controls (n=10,103) from the Medical Birth Register. We obtained information on maternal autoimmune disease and its medication from the relevant Finnish registries and used conditional logistic regression to analyse the risk of offspring cancer after maternal autoimmune disease exposure. The odds ratio (OR) for cancer in offspring following maternal autoimmune exposure was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-1.23). Individual ORs for inflammatory bowel and connective tissue diseases were 1.08 (95% CI 0.56-2.01) and 0.50 (95% CI 0.23-1.08), respectively. The OR for maternal autoimmune medication was 0.95 (95% CI 0.80-1.14) overall and similar by drug subtype. There was an increased risk with medication in late pregnancy but the ORs were unstable owing to small numbers. Our study does not support an increased cancer risk among offspring of women with autoimmune disease or its medication during pregnancy.

Associations Between ADHD Medication Use in Pregnancy and Severe Malformations Based on Prenatal and Postnatal Diagnoses: A Danish Registry-Based Study.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications are increasingly used in pregnancy. Studies on the pregnancy safety of these medications that are restricted to live births may underestimate severe teratogenic effects that cause fetal demise or termination of pregnancy. The present study addresses this limitation by including data from both prenatal and postnatal diagnoses of major malformations. A nationwide registry-based study was conducted of 364,012 singleton pregnancies in Denmark from November 1, 2007, to February 1, 2014. Exposures to ADHD medication were obtained from redeemed prescriptions from the Danish Health Services Prescription Database. Outcome data included prenatally diagnosed malformations from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database and postnatally diagnosed malformations from the Danish National Patient Registry. The primary outcome was major malformations overall, and secondary outcomes were malformations of the central nervous system and cardiac malformations. The comparison group was pregnancies with no redeemed prescriptions for ADHD medication. We defined severe cardiac malformations (SCM) as concurrent diagnoses of a cardiac malformation with miscarriage, termination, stillbirth, postnatal death, or cardiac surgery within 1 year of birth. The prevalence of first-trimester exposure to ADHD medication increased during the study period from 0.05% in 2008 to 0.27% in 2013, with the majority (473/569) of the exposures being to methylphenidate. There were 5.1% malformations overall and 2.1% cardiac malformations among the exposed compared to 4.6% and 1.0%, respectively, among the unexposed. For methylphenidate, the adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) were 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.55) for malformations overall and 1.65 (95% CI, 0.89-3.05) for any cardiac malformations (number needed to harm [NNH] = 92), with septum defects in 10 out of 12 cases. The PR for ventricular septal defect was 2.74 (95% CI, 1.03-7.28) and for SCM, 2.59 (95% CI, 0.98-6.90). Exposure to methylphenidate was not associated with an increased risk of malformations overall in data that included information from both prenatal and postnatal diagnoses of major malformations. There was an increased risk of cardiac malformations with NNH of 92 based on 12 cases among the exposed. More data are needed on other types of ADHD medication.

Assessment of drug-prescribing perception and practice among dental care providers: a cross-sectional Lebanese study.

Background:Dentists play an essential role in providing high-quality dental care, taking into consideration the clinical context and concomitant medications taken by the patients.Objective:This study aimed to assess drug-prescribing perception and practices in addition to drug-related educational needs among Lebanese dentists; it also evaluated the need for interprofessional collaboration between dentists and pharmacists.Methods:An exploratory cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire targeted a sample of dentists from all Lebanese districts. Participants gave their consent by accepting to complete the survey (ethics approval reference: USJ-2016-63). The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions exploring: 1) drug-prescribing perception, 2) drug-prescribing practice, and 3) collaboration with pharmacists regarding their respective roles in providing appropriate counseling to patients. Two indexes were created: the first evaluated self-confidence in prescribing medications, and the second assessed dentists’ confidence in pharmacists. Logistic regressions were performed, taking each index as a dependent variable.ResultsA total of 137 dentists completed the survey (59% females; mean age: 42.17; SD: 13.78 years). The majority had a fair to good perceived knowledge in pharmacology and therapeutics (80.3%), only 30.7% reported to be sufficiently equipped to prescribe safely. Dentists exhibited particularly low perceived knowledge about prescribing in elderly patients, dosing, medication use in pregnancy, drug interactions, and adverse reactions. Dentists specialized in periodontics had the lowest odds of having self-confidence in prescribing drugs (aOR=0.25; p<0.001). Also, 64.3% declared that they routinely check a reference source before prescribing, and 78% relied on pharmaceutical companies and medical representatives to get information on medications. While 61% declared that pharmacists should provide oral care counseling, only half of them encouraged their patients to talk to their pharmacists about their medications. Only 15% considered that patients are getting enough counseling from the pharmacist, with a global confidence index below the median value, suggesting the need for more collaboration, especially with periodontists who exhibited the lowest confidence in pharmacists (aOR=0.45).ConclusionsLebanese dentists reported some lack of knowledge and confidence in prescribing practices. Education, training, and close collaboration between pharmacists and dentists are essential to overcome these problems and avoid potential harm to patients.

Risk of gestational diabetes mellitus after use of antidepressant medication in pregnancy: results from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Risk of gestational diabetes mellitus after use of antidepressant medication in pregnancy: results from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Pharmacokinetic Characterization to Enable Medicine Use in Pregnancy, the Potential Role of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling: A Regulatory Perspective.

It is generally recommended that use of medicines should be avoided during pregnancy, sometimes however use of a medicine is essential to safeguard the health of mother and baby. A very limited number of medicines are however specifically licensed for use in pregnancy. This article considers the potential of PBPK modelling as a predictive tool to investigate the expected systemic exposure of medicines in pregnant women and to support possible dosing adjustment to maintain efficacy.

A model for human and animal data integration: Weight of evidence strategy.

Integration of animal and human data to assess potential risks of the use of medications in pregnancy is important. A qualitative weight of evidence process enables all available evidence to be considered in a consistent, systematic manner. We aim to describe the weight of evidence methodology utilized by the authors, a summary of which was presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Teratology Society entitled "Integration of Human and Animal Data to Inform Medication Use in Pregnant Women." The qualitative weight of evidence process evaluates data that inform on a potential relationship between an adverse pregnancy outcome and a medication exposure. An interdisciplinary panel evaluates all available human and animal data related to the question of interest. Study quality assessments of both human and animal data are incorporated. The evaluation assesses gaps in the data from the following areas: (a) strength, (b) specificity, (c) consistency, (d) dose response relationship, (e) methodological considerations, and (f) biological plausibility for the potential association of interest. The panel integrates all the information to arrive at an assessment of the evidence and provides recommendations, which may include obtaining more specific information. We provide examples of how the authors apply this process at a pharmaceutical company for evaluation of potential postmarketing safety issues regarding medications and pregnancy outcomes. This weight of evidence method improves the ability to integrate published literature and other data sources to assess the potential risks of medication use in pregnant women and inform future drug safety studies.

Teratogen update: Antithyroid medications.

Thyroid disorders including hyperthyroidism are common during pregnancy. Untreated hyperthyroidism can result in adverse outcomes for pregnancy. Iodine, propylthiouracil (PTU), carbimazole (CMZ), and methimazole (MMI) are common medications for hyperthyroidism treatment. The literature regarding antithyroid medication use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is reviewed. Animal studies for PTU have suggested congenital anomalies while animal studies for MMI have only indicated adverse outcomes at higher doses than used in humans. Epidemiological studies have noted an increased risk of congenital anomalies for PTU less often than CMZ or MMI but the epidemiological evidence remains mixed. A pattern of anomalies has been described for CMZ and MMI, from both case and epidemiological studies, including choanal atresia, aplasia cutis congenita, and other facial, heart, gastrointestinal, and skin anomalies. Closer examination of cases indicates that a few cases of the anomalies have occurred without exposure to CMZ or MMI and outside of the proposed critical period. PTU has a small risk of hepatotoxicity which rarely results in liver transplantation and death. Some authors have suggested that PTU be prescribed in early pregnancy and switched to MMI in late pregnancy. Untreated hyperthyroidism, from either a lack of medications or switching medications during the first trimester, may also increase the chance of congenital anomalies. Multiple case studies and larger epidemiological studies have failed to provide clear, consistent outcomes for the use of PTU, CMZ, and MMI in pregnancy. MMI and PTU both enter the breastmilk in small amounts. Additional research is needed to assist in the medical management and exposure counseling of pregnant and breastfeeding women with hyperthyroidism.

Knowledge about Medicine Use in Pregnancy: A National Study among Pharmacy Students in Jordan.

Knowledge of medication use during pregnancy presents a concern to pharmacists upon graduation since they will be responsible for drug-related inquiries and counselling pregnant women about their medications. The present study aimed to assess undergraduate senior pharmacy students' knowledge about medication use during pregnancy in Jordan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jordanian universities. A total of 409 senior pharmacy students participated in the study. The results found that the majority of the students (60.6%) did not have enough instruction on medications during pregnancy through their undergraduate study. Overall, only 2.5% of the participating students were considered to have good knowledge about medicine use during pregnancy and accordingly, the majority (52.6%) were not confident to recommend medicines for pregnant women in the future. In view of that, participating students suggested the addition of an obligatory course to the current curriculum. Students in public universities, Pharm.D. students, and those in their sixth year of study were more knowledgeable than others (P > 0.05). It was concluded that pharmacy students have low knowledge regarding medication use in pregnancy. The results call for a reassessment of the current pharmacy curriculum.

Use and Intentional Avoidance of Prescribed Medications in Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional, Web-Based Study among 926 Women in Italy.

Nation-wide information about medication use in pregnancy is lacking for Italy, and no study has so far investigated the prescribed medications which pregnant women deliberately avoid. In this study, we map medication use patterns in pregnancy, as well as the extent and type of prescribed medications which are purposely avoided by pregnant women in Italy. This is a sub-study within the “Multinational Medication Use in Pregnancy Study”—a cross-sectional, web-based study conducted in Italy from 7 November 2011 to 7 January 2012. Using an anonymous electronic questionnaire, we collected data from pregnant women and new mothers on medication use and deliberate avoidance during pregnancy and maternal characteristics. The sample included 926 women residing in Italy. The point prevalence of total medication use was 71.2%. Whereas 61.4% and 12.4% of women reported medication use for the treatment of short and longer-term illnesses, respectively, only 8.8% reported medication use for the treatment of both a short and a longer-term illness in pregnancy. We found no substantial differences in estimates across various geographical areas of Italy. Overall, 26.6% of women reported to have deliberately avoided a prescribed medication in pregnancy—most often nimesulide or ketoprofen, but also antibiotics. We conclude that prenatal exposure to medication is common among women in Italy, but estimates are lower than in other Western countries. Intentional avoidance of important medications by pregnant women raises concerns about the safeguarding of maternal–child health.

Medications for pregnant women: A balancing act between the interests of the mother and of the fetus.

Drug entry into the adult brain is controlled by efflux mechanisms situated in various brain barrier interfaces. The effectiveness of these protective mechanisms in the embryo, fetus and newborn brain is less clear. The longstanding belief that "the" blood-brain barrier is absent or immature in the fetus and newborn has led to many misleading statements with potential clinical implications. Here we review the properties of brain barrier mechanisms in the context of drug entry into the developing brain and discuss the limited number of studies published on the subject. We noticed that most of available literature suffers from some experimental limitations, notably that drug levels in fetal blood and cerebrospinal fluid have not been measured. This means that the relative contribution to the overall brain protection provided by individual barriers such as the placenta (which contains similar efflux mechanisms) and the brain barriers cannot be separately ascertained. Finally, we propose that systematic studies in appropriate animal models of drug entry into the brain at different stages of development would provide a rational basis for use of medications in pregnancy and in newborns, especially prematurely born, where protection usually provided by the placenta is no longer present.

A237 SHARED DECISION MAKING: DESIGN OF A PREGNANCY IN IBD DECISION AID (PIDA)

Abstract Background Given a significant proportion of women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are of child-bearing age, the development of a pregnancy IBD decision aid would benefit patients and clinicians. Lack of IBD-specific reproductive knowledge has been associated with increased “voluntary childlessness” and may contribute to inappropriate medication changes during or after pregnancy. Decision aids support decision making in pregnancy in general, as well as in multiple other chronic diseases. However existing literature has not identified such a resource for women with IBD. Aims To develop a decision aid to improve decision making regarding preconception and pregnancy in IBD among women with IBD. Methods We followed the International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS). A steering committee of Canadian and Australian health care professionals with an interest in IBD management in pregnancy, in addition to patient representatives, was established. Themes chosen for discussion included inheritance, fertility, nutrition, medications, mode of delivery, breastfeeding, infant health. Initial patient and clinician focus groups were conducted and responses recorded with written/audio mediums. We developed an electronic PIDA draft that incorporates individualised information (type of IBD, pre-conception or pregnant, surgical history, medications) in personalized decision making. Further patient focus groups and interviews were conducted to obtain user opinion of the PIDA draft. Results In July 2017, patient and clinician focus groups were conducted at a Canadian site. Three patients (pre-conception) attended the focus group. Patient concerns - impact of disease and surgery on fertility and preterm delivery; impact of drug therapies on the fetus/ infant; impact of active disease on maternal and fetal/infant health. The clinician focus group included 3 IBD specialists, 2 IBD fellows, 2 IBD nurses, an obstetrician and a neonatal intensivist. Clinician concerns - absence of pre-conception counselling and lack of patient understanding about the impact of disease activity and IBD medication use in pregnancy. Additional patient feedback obtained through interviews (n=15) at two Canadian sites since March 2019 regarding the current electronic PIDA was positive, with comments about content, personalization, readability and unbiased presentation. Suggestions were made for inclusion of additional content such as impact of IBD on sexual function, laboratory changes during pregnancy, and timing of medications post-partum. Conclusions The pre and post PIDA design patient and clinician focus groups and interviews affirmed the role for PIDA. Main decisions considered necessary to address included ideal timing of conception pending disease activity, management of medications, and delivery methods. Ongoing user feedback will be obtained at Australian and Canadian sites during planned alpha testing. Funding Agencies WCHRI, Sinai Health System, UBC

Clinicians' Perspective of the New Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR): Results from an AAAAI/FDA Survey

On June 30, 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began implementation of the Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR), which replaced the pregnancy letter category system (A, B, C, D, and X) with integrated narrative summaries of the risks of using a drug or biological product during pregnancy and lactation. The letter category system, first established in 1979, was regarded as overly simplistic and misinterpreted as a grading system. The PLLR labeling format was created to improve the presentation of available data on use of the drug during pregnancy and/or lactation. To survey clinician awareness, assessment, and use of this new labeling format. In January 2018, an online survey, developed in collaboration between the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the FDA, was sent to a random sample of the US membership of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The survey content consisted of questions addressing the following: demographic characteristics, awareness and use of the PLLR, and value and understanding of the PLLR format on the basis of an example of the "Pregnancy" subsection of labeling. Of the 1500 members who received the survey via an email, 184 (12%) completed the survey. Respondents had a mean age of 56 years and treated on average 2 pregnant women per month. Less than half (46%) of the respondents were aware that the pregnancy letter category system was replaced with a narrative summary. After reading the example, most of the respondents (68%) did not feel that the narrative summary was concise. However, 71% of the respondents found the background risk and disease-associated risk information helpful. Most of the respondents (95%) continued to use the pregnancy letter category system to make prescribing decisions. These survey results suggest that the PLLR format was not known by most prescribers and that the pregnancy letter category format is continuing to be used despite significant flaws in the old system. However, the survey did not address why prescribers were continuing to rely on the pregnancy letter category system. Whether this is due to the PLLR format itself or the lack of quality data to inform the safe use of medications in pregnancy cannot be determined from these survey results. The FDA will use these survey results to refine the communication of pregnancy safety information in labeling and will expand outreach efforts to educate health care providers in the new labeling system.

Decision-making about antidepressant medication use in pregnancy: a comparison between women making the decision in the preconception period versus in pregnancy

BackgroundDecisions about antidepressant use in pregnancy are complex. Little is known about how pregnancy-planning and already pregnant women making these decisions differ.MethodsIn 95 Canadian women having difficulty deciding whether to take antidepressants in pregnancy, we compared sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, and treatment intent between women planning pregnancy (preconception women) and currently-pregnant women.ResultsAbout 90% of preconception women (n = 55) were married or cohabitating and university-educated, and over 60% had an annual income of > 80,000 CAD/year; this was not different from currently-pregnant women (n = 40). Almost all women had previously used antidepressants, but preconception women were more likely to report current use (85.5% vs. 45.0%). They were more likely to have high decisional conflict (83.6% vs. 60.0%) and less likely to be under the care of a psychiatrist (29.1% vs. 52.5%). Preconception women were more likely than pregnant women to report the intent to use antidepressants (60% vs. 32.5%, odds ratio 3.11, 95% confidence interval 1.33–7.32); this was partially explained by between-group differences in current antidepressant use.ConclusionsPreconception women were more likely than pregnant women to intend to use antidepressants in pregnancy, in part because more of them were already using this treatment. Strategies to enhance support for decision-making about antidepressant medication use in pregnancy may need to be tailored differently for pregnancy-planning and already pregnant women.

P563 Shared decision-making in pregnancy in inflammatory bowel disease: Design of a pregnancy in IBD decision aid (PIDA)

Abstract Background A lack of IBD-specific reproductive knowledge has been associated with increased ‘voluntary childlessness’.Furthermore, a lack of patient and clinician knowledge may contribute to inappropriate medication changes during or after pregnancy that may lead to a flare of disease. Evidence exists for the benefit of decision aids to support decision-making in pregnancy in general, as well as in multiple other chronic disease; however, such a resource for pregnancy in IBD has not been identified. Methods Using International Patient Decision Aids Standards, we have commenced design of our Pregnancy in IBD Decision Aid (PIDA). A steering committee consisting of Canadian and Australian Healthcare professionals with an interest in IBD management in pregnancy, in addition to a patient representative was established. Initial patient and clinician focus groups were conducted. Themes prospectively chosen for discussion included inheritance, fertility, nutrition, medications, mode of delivery, breastfeeding, infant infections and vaccinations. We designed an electronic PIDA draft that incorporates individualised information (for example, type of IBD, pre-conception or pregnant, surgical history and current medications) in personalised decision-making. Further patient focus groups and interviews were conducted to obtain user opinion of the PIDA draft. Results In July 2017, patient and clinician focus groups were conducted at a Canadian site. Patient concerns regarding pregnancy included the impact of disease, previous surgical history on fertility, preterm delivery; the potential impact of current and past drug therapies on the fetus/ infant; and the negative impact of active disease on both maternal and fetal/infant health. Clinician concerns included the absence of pre-conception counselling and potential for lack of patient understanding about the impact of disease activity and IBD medication use in pregnancy. Patient feedback (n = 15) obtained through interviews at two Canadian and one Australian site regarding the current electronic PIDA draft was predominantly positive, with comments pertaining to the adequacy of content coverage, personalisation, readability and unbiased information presentation. Suggestions were made for inclusion of further content such as the impact of IBD on sexual function, expected laboratory changes and the timing of recommencement of medications post-partum. Conclusion The completion of pre and post-PIDA design focus groups and interviews affirmed the role for PIDA. Main decisions that were considered necessary to address included ideal timing of conception pending disease activity, management of medications and delivery methods. Ongoing user feedback is being obtained at Australian and Canadian sites currently.

OTC medication use in pregnancy

The use of medications during pregnancy has increased In the last three decades. Pregnant women use medications including both over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications. The pregnant women reported using at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication during pregnancy, including during the first trimester, a critical period of organogenesis. Common over-the-counter drugs categories of readily accessible medications include antipyretics, analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, H-antihistamines, decongestants, expectorants, antacids, antidiarrheal, and topical dermatological medications. For most medications commonly used in pregnancy, there are insufficient data available to characterize the exact fetal risk, limiting the opportunity for informed clinical decisions about the best management of acute and chronic disorders during pregnancy.

Promoting Safe Medication Use in Pregnancy in the Era of Real-World Data - The SafeStart Study

Promoting Safe Medication Use in Pregnancy in the Era of Real-World Data - The SafeStart Study

The Use of Medication in Pregnancy.

Drug safety has the highest priority in the treatment of pregnant women, as any effect on fetal development will not be immediately evident, and the harm that ensues may have lifelong adverse consequences. This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective literature search and on expert assessment on the basis of the current evidence. The teratogenic and fetotoxic drugs that are most important in their magnitude of effect and/or frequency of exposure are discussed, along with their characteristic effects. For each of the main indications for drug treatment during pregnancy, the current drugs of choice are stated, regardless of their approval status for use by pregnant women. Drugs are designated as "tolerable" in pregnan- cy if there is currently no reliable evidence of a human teratogenic effect but the state of the evidence is still inadequate for a conclusive determination. Such drugs can be given, in consideration of the risks and benefits, in case the drugs of choice are out of the question. Unplanned pregnancies arising in women who are taking "tolerable" drugs do not necessitate the immediate switch or discontinuation of the drug. On the other hand, drugs with known teratogenic or fetotoxic effects are desig- nated as "contraindicated." For any pregnant woman exposed to such a drug, the risk must be assessed individually, and a risk management strategy must be determined. For most indications for drug treatment in pregnant women, drugs are available with adequate clinical experience supporting drug safety. In all fields of medicine, drug safety information for pregnant women needs to be stated more precisely and in a manner more suitable for clinical application; moreover, the explanation to the patient must enable her to assess the risk realistically, but should not arouse undue anxiety. Drug safety in pregnancy demands the continuous collec- tion of observational data, so that risks can be assessed as precisely as possible and false suspicions can be laid to rest, both for new drugs and for those that have already been in longstanding use. To this end, the Pharmacovigilance Institute (Pharmakovigilanz- und Beratungszentrum, PVZ) for Embryotoxicology critically assesses the current state of the evidence and carries out its own relevant observational studies.

Safe Expectations: Current State and Future Directions for Medication Safety in Pregnancy Research

Medication use in pregnancy is common, but information about the safety of most medications in pregnant women or their infants is limited. In the absence of data from randomized clinical trials to guide decisions made by regulators, clinicians, and patients, we often have to rely on well-designed observational studies to generate valid evidence about the benefits and risks of medications in pregnancy. Spontaneous reporting, primary case–control and cohort studies, pregnancy exposure registries, and electronic health data have been used extensively for studying medication safety in pregnancy. This article discusses these data sources, their strengths and limitations, and possible strategies and approaches to mitigating limitations when planning studies or interpreting findings from the literature. Strategies discussed include combining data sources across institutional or national borders, developing and using more sophisticated study designs, and taking advantage of existing analytic methods for more complex data structures, such as time-varying exposure or unmeasured confounding. Finally, we make recommendations for study designs that aid in better risk-related communication.

Social media monitoring on the perceived safety of medication use during pregnancy: A case study from the Netherlands.

AimsAn increasing number of women trust the Internet for information about medication safety during pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the availability and accuracy of social media content on the perceived safety of medication use in pregnancy.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of posts related to medication safety during pregnancy in the Dutch language published on social media, blogs and forums between May 2011 and April 2016 using Coosto, a tool for social media monitoring. The perceived safety in the posts was compared with the Dutch Teratology Information Service (TIS) safety classifications.ResultsWe included 1224 online posts, which described 1441 scenarios about medication safety in pregnancy. A total of 820 (57%) scenarios were in line with the TIS classification. Incorrect perception was higher for prescription medication compared to medication available over‐the‐counter (60 vs 25%). Furthermore, the safety classification of medications with a TIS classification on strict indication or second‐line drugs (93%) and medications with insufficient knowledge on their safety during pregnancy (76%) was more likely to be incorrectly perceived by the public compared to medications with the TIS classification safe (24%).ConclusionsSocial media monitoring may be useful for surveillance of potentially unsafe use of medications in pregnancy. Many social posts related to medication safety during pregnancy provide inaccurate information. As this information may affect women's perceptions and decisions, accurate communication between healthcare providers and pregnant women regarding the benefits and risks of medications is vital.

Medicines in pregnancy.

Medicine use in pregnancy is extremely common, but there are significant knowledge gaps surrounding the safety, dosage and long-term effects of drugs used. Pregnant women have been purposively excluded from clinical trials of the majority of treatments for conditions that may occur concurrently with pregnancy. There is minimal information on the pharmacokinetics of many existing treatments and no systematic capture of long-term outcome data to help inform choices. Treatments commonly used in pregnancy are thus often old and untested, not optimised in dose, and prescribed off-label without adequate safety information. In addition, there has been a staggering lack of investment in drug development for obstetric conditions for decades. This is a major public health concern, and pregnancy complications are the leading cause of mortality in children under five years old globally, and health in pregnancy is a major determinant of women’s long-term health and wellbeing. There is an acute need for adequate investment and legislation to boost inclusion of pregnant women in clinical studies, capture high-quality information on medication use in pregnancy in general, and encourage new medicinal product development for obstetric conditions.