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The Right Way to Get Pregnant
By William Grigg
Illegal or "recreational" drugs are risky, too. Cocaine's use during pregnancy has been shown to increase malformations of the urinary tract five-fold. There are also risks of low birth weight, miscarriage, brain damage and fetal death.
Because the dangers have been publicized, many women who get pregnant know to stay away from illegal drugs and from many nonprescription and prescription drugs as well.
If you've ever taken Accutane (isotretinoin) for very severe acne, you know this drug is an extremely strong cause of gross birth defects. Before taking this drug you must have a test to show you are not pregnant. Then you must take birth control measures beginning a month before you start the acne drug, throughout the treatment period and, because of its persistent effect, for a month after you stop.
Drugs to treat cancer, such as methotrexate, also cause birth defects – and pregnancy should likewise be avoided when getting such treatment.
Even aspirin carries a risk of bleeding complications for mother and child, but it may be prescribed by a doctor under certain conditions.
Thus, the best advice to pregnant women (or women who may become pregnant) is this: Ask your physician before taking any prescription or non-prescription drug, including herbal medicines and other "natural" therapies, but don't panic unnecessarily. Some drugs have been used in pregnant women for a long time without doctors observing any problems.
If you need a drug to control high blood pressure, asthma, lupus or other chronic problems, don't stop the moment you find you're pregnant. Talk the situation over with your doctor first. Talking it over with your doctor before you become pregnant is even better, since the fetus may be particularly susceptible to injury at its early stages, before you even know you're pregnant.
Epileptic? A pregnant woman's seizures can cause damage to the unborn baby's brain. Thus, women with epilepsy and their doctors usually decide that continuing the medication that controls the seizure is the path of less risk.
