Study: NSAID's tied to baby heart defects....

[Dr Mordrid]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060824222111.htm

First Trimester Use Of NSAIDs Is Associated With Cardiac Abnormalities In Babies

Women who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) early in their pregnancies may be more likely to give birth to babies with congenital defects, particularly cardiac septal defects. These are the findings of a case-control study published in the August issue of Birth Defects Research Part B, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons.

Many pregnant women get prescriptions for NSAIDs during their first trimester, and even more--up to 15 percent--take over-the-counter versions of these drugs. Previous studies have shown that taking NSAIDs toward the end of a pregnancy can cause certain circulatory problems--premature closure of the ductus arteriosus and patent ductus arteriosus, but the risks related to early-pregnancy ingestion are less well defined.
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[Umfriend]

Wasn't there a discussion on MURC about 2 months back where you warned against using paracetamol and suggested some NSAID instead?

[KvHagedorn]

People should take as few medications as possible.. especially women when pregnant. You never know what's going to happen.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yes. The previous thread covered the connection between acetomenophen and liver damage, which can happen to anyone. The NSAID issue in this post is only a factor for pregnant women, who should avoid many, many 'normal' things especially in the first trimester. This just adds one more to the list.

[Jon P. Inghram]

And yet women still get cravings for the wierdest stuff when they're pregnant.

[Umfriend]

I c and I agree with KVH BTW.

[Dr Mordrid]

So do I, with the exception of a specifically formulated prenatal vitamin supplement that includes things like folic acid (B9) etc., both before conception and at least 3 months after. Folic acid cuts the rate of neural tube defects like spina bifida.

Normal (non-prenatal) vitamin formulations may have too much of certain vitamins that can be harmful in higher doses. ex: vitamin A.

[KvHagedorn]

That's a good point, Doc.. normally, I wouldn't consider vitamin/mineral supplements as medication, but such things can be abused and proper dosage needs to be adhered to.