More than one in three women are taking over-the-counter medication during the first three months of pregnancy, despite medical advice that all drugs should be avoided where possible during this time.
Analgesics, mostly paracetamol but also aspirin, were taken by 39 per cent of women surveyed by the Children of the 90s project, based at the University of Bristol. Almost a quarter used indigestion medicines in mid to late pregnancy.
But advice from the British Medical Association recommends that all drugs should be avoided if possible during the first three months, and only prescribed at all if the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the foetus.
Dr Judith Headley, who co-authored the research, says that although few drugs have been proven to cause malformations in the embryo, very little is known about more subtle effects.
A previous study from Children of the 90s showed a possible link between high usage of paracetamol during pregnancy and wheezing in early childhood, suggesting a connection with asthma.
Headley says many women are not aware that paracetamol is available in a variety of products, such as cold remedies, meaning that they may be consuming several doses at once without realising it.
Rosemary Dodds, policy research officer at the National Childbirth Trust, says information given to women during antenatal sessions can vary around the country. But because around 40 per cent of pregnancies aren't planned, she says greater public awareness is required as it can be several weeks before women become aware that they have conceived.
She also says greater education about parenting is needed at school to ensure better awareness among all women.
FACT BOX
- Only 7.6 per cent of women did not report use of any medicinal product throughout their pregnancy
- Some women turn to alternative therapies to avoid taking conventional medicine
- www.alspac.bristol.ac.uk/welcome/index.shtml.
