Use of medications during pregnancy is more common in women with preeclampsia than in those without, according to an analysis of women who gave birth at a hospital in Finland in 2002–2016.

In the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology analysis of 1,252 women who had preeclampsia and 1,256 controls without preeclampsia, 59.5% of women with preeclampsia and 35.5% of controls used at least one drug during pregnancy. In both groups, the most commonly used drugs were antibiotics, hypertensive medications, and paracetamol (acetaminophen).

“During pregnancy, certain drugs may be necessary to ensure maternal and sometimes also fetal health. However, since the fetus is very sensitive to the effects of chemicals, the use and choice of drugs to be taken during pregnancy should always be considered carefully,” the authors wrote.

Full bibliographic information

Sahlman, H, Koponen, M, El‐Nezami, H, Vahakangas, K, Keski‐Nisula, L. Maternal use of drugs and preeclampsia. BCP. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14117