Taking pills during pregnancy: Things to keep in mind

The article is professionally consulted by Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Viet Nhan, genetic consultant, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital

In order to have a healthy pregnancy, besides eating well, many pregnant women are worried about whether they need to take any supplements before becoming pregnant. What are the effects of taking medication during pregnancy? To answer the above questions, let's learn about taking medicine during pregnancy in the article below.

Currently in the use of drugs, many people confuse drugs with functional foods, leading to abuse or improper use.
In 2004, the Ministry of Health issued a circular on the concept of functional foods as follows: “Functional foods are foods used to support the function of parts of the human body, with additional effects. nutrition, make the body comfortable, increase resistance and reduce the risk of disease", so the use of functional foods is not a cure for disease but only a product to help supplement nutrients. It is lacking in the body during metabolism and helps to improve the condition in some cases.
Different from functional foods, medicines directly affect the metabolism of substances, change physiological and pathological structures, thereby repairing and improving the damage in the patient's body.
For functional foods, people do not require too high processing techniques, consumers can buy and drink without specifying, but with medicines, it is the exact opposite, always requiring very strict standards. slot, not only the drug but also the dose as well as the time of day use is also very important and requires a doctor's prescription to ensure safe use.
However, in some cases functional foods can also be considered as drugs. For example, if you have cramps due to lack of calcium and vitamin D3, just supplementing with functional foods (vitamin D3 and calcium) is enough. However, in the case of patients with more complicated diseases, supplementing only with functional foods is of little value and sometimes has no effect. It is better for users to consult a doctor.

To distinguish between drugs and functional foods, you can consult a pharmacy, pharmacist or you can check the drug label yourself in the following simple way:
For functional foods: Registration number on the box is the standard publication number (SCBTC) for example: SCBTC : 2204/2012/YT-CNTC and always has the words: Functional food or Nutritional food or This product is not a medicine and has no The effect of replacing medicine For medicines, the box must have a registration number (SDK), For example: Registration number: V... – 1200 – 12 You need to be careful with the type of functional foods and medicines called is "portable" from the US, Australia or from other developed countries because the reliability level is quite low.

The drugs you use during pregnancy can cross the placenta to affect the fetus and can cause consequences such as:
Direct effects on the fetus causing miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects birth Changes the function of the placenta, reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, which can lead to poor fetal growth May affect the uterus, cause contractions and thereby indirectly affect the development of the fetus. Fetal development or preterm birth Drugs that can cause changes in the mother's body and indirectly affect the fetus such as antihypertensive drugs can reduce blood flow to the placenta and reduce the amount of oxygen and nutrients supplied. The effects of pregnancy on the fetus depend on the following factors:
The stage of development of the fetus Type of drug and dose used Maternal characteristics (role of genetic factors) in response to each drug. Other factors related to the mother's physiological characteristics such as vomiting after taking the drug (common in the first 3 months of pregnancy) will not absorb much of the drug, so the drug will affect the fetus. less than

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified drugs into five categories in order A, B, C, D, X according to the degree of risk they pose to the unborn baby if they are used. in pregnancy. Drugs classified from A are those for which a study has shown no effect on the fetus during pregnancy, to X, which studies have shown to be highly toxic and should never be used. pregnant women because it can cause serious consequences.

For example, thalidomide, a drug formerly used to treat morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy, has caused underdevelopment of the arms and legs and defects of the intestines, heart and blood vessels. in infants of women taking the drug during pregnancy.
This FDA classification system is primarily based on information from animal studies and less on well-designed studies in pregnant women so the application of the classification system in situations specifically very difficult.
Because of these difficulties and complications, FDA requires that drug labels include the following more specific information:
There are risks when taking the drug during pregnancy and lactation Proven evidence about these risks Information to help doctors decide whether to use the drug during pregnancy and to help explain the risks and benefits of taking the drug to a woman Usually, when doctors prescribe Medicines all follow one general rule: Consider giving a drug to a pregnant woman a treatment for a disorder only when the potential benefits outweigh the known risks.
Doctors will choose a safer alternative to a potentially harmful drug during pregnancy. For example, to prevent blood clots, the anticoagulant heparin will be substituted for warfarin. . Some antibiotics are safe for pregnancy, like penicillin, to be used to treat infections etc.
Or some drugs can pose a risk after they've been stopped like isotretinoin, a medication used to treat infections. For the treatment of acne, the drug is stored in the subcutaneous fat and is released slowly so isotretinoin can cause birth defects in the fetus if a woman becomes pregnant within 2 weeks of stopping the drug. Therefore, women should wait at least 3 to 4 weeks after stopping the drug before becoming pregnant.
Through this information you can see the dangers of taking drugs arbitrarily, so it is best during pregnancy, when it is necessary to use drugs and even functional foods, you need to consult a doctor.

Pre-pregnancy counseling will discuss with you about the use of drugs before and during pregnancy to ensure that you use them appropriately before and during pregnancy. Counseling on drug use is also one of the contents of the pre-pregnancy health care and counseling program at Vinmec.
To ensure safety, when you have a medical condition and want to use any medicine, you should have a prescription from a specialist doctor. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Vinmec International General Hospital is a high-quality medical unit, highly appreciated by customers for its professional quality as well as professional services. The team of doctors are all highly qualified, experienced, regularly updated with the latest obstetric techniques in the world to help protect the health of pregnant women and their babies the best.
To visit with experienced Obstetricians and Gynecologists at Vinmec, please make an appointment directly at the website for service.