Abstract

A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY ON USE OF MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBING DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION

Binu K. M.*, A. L. Pavani, D. Sujatha, V. Pavani, H. Doddayya and S. M. Kodliwadmath

Abstract

Despite lack of scientific evidence about the safety of some medications, the reported use of medications during pregnancy has increased leading to adverse reproductive outcomes, due to potential risk to the mother and foetus. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern of medicines prescribed and their risk categories during pregnancy, child birth and lactation. A prospective – observational cohort study was carried out in 412 pregnant women for six months in an OB&G department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Prescriptions were analyzed for rationality using WHO prescribing indicators and for risk drugs prescribed during pregnancy and lactation using US FDA and Dr. Hale’s lactation risk category. In this study ATC group J (31.26%) were most frequently prescribed drug during pregnancy followed by group M (15.68%) and group B (13.36%).The average no of drugs per encounter was 4.66. Drugs prescribed by generic name were 38% and 33% were prescribed from EDL. Use of antibiotics was frequent (26.10%) and injections prescribed was also high (23.4%). The result indicate major drugs from category B (56.73%) followed by category C (16.64%) and category A(16.58%) as per FDA risk category. According to Dr. Hale’s lactation risk category, majority of the drugs belong to L2 (83.61%) followed by L1(15.38%) and L3(1%).The study shows considerable medication use during pregnancy, childbirth and lactation. It is suggested that medicine use during pregnancy and lactation should be monitored regularly by analyzing prescription data.

Keywords: Childbirth, FDA, Lactation, Medication, Pregnancy, WHO.