Prescribing change, expecting more
Medicines don’t make it to the market by accident. There’s a lengthy approval process, clinical trials, and extensive testing to ensure their benefits outweigh any potential risks. But what happens when it comes to supplements? Just because they don’t fall into what patients traditionally perceive as “medicines” does it mean that they’re safe for use during pregnancy? There are many…
Read more > How much is enough? Vitamin supplements in pregnancy
A normal pregnancy throws up endless questions. About what’s safe, about what’s advisable to eat or drink, what activities you can do, and what (if any) medicines you can take – and many other things too. So where do women turn? Less than a generation ago, pregnant women, and would-be pregnant women, typically turned to their mothers, close female relatives…
Read more > The Internet: a help or hindrance to high-risk pregnancies?
In a newly released video, shot at TEDxBrussels on October 28th, Lode Dewulf offers a rallying call for change in the area of pregnancy and medical treatment. Dewulf, who has 25 years of pharmaceutical medical experience, told the audience, “Throughout the world, pregnant women are denied their basic rights simply because they are pregnant.” With recent statistics revealing that 90%…
Read more > A TEDx Talk on Pregnancy Taboos: a Call for Change
Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, an obstetrician/gynecologist, researcher, bioethicist and author, is one of the founders of the Second Wave Initiative. Founded in 2009, the Second Wave Initiative aims to offer scientifically responsible solutions to pregnant women in need of medical treatment. We spoke to her to hear more about what she’s doing. Why did you decide to found the Second…
Dr Frédéric Amant from the Leuven Cancer Institute in Belgium is taking the lead on treating cancer in pregnancy. Back in 2004, a pregnant cancer sufferer came to his team seeking to terminate her pregnancy – this made him realize how little was being done for mothers-to-be with cancer. This patient marked a starting point, motivating him to research the…
When there are two lives to consider, which one do you choose? That was the question doctors faced when they discovered that Caroline Swain had breast cancer – she was just a few weeks into her pregnancy at the time. Caroline’s pregnancy formed part of a wider study into treating pregnant women with cancer. And against all the odds, she…
Read more > The impossible dilemma: fight cancer or save your child
How does a healthcare professional know if a drug is safe for use? Fortunately, all prescription and over-the-counter medicines go through a thorough clinical trials process, which lasts for several years. And regulators don’t launch a drug until they are convinced of its safety profile. But in pregnancy, this distinction is less clear. There are fewer clinical trials that incorporate…
Read more > Bridging the knowledge gap on drug use in pregnancy
