Taking supplements while pregnant: Is there enough safety data?

“We often get calls on our hotlines from patients who are taking very large doses of supplements, mostly in the mistaken belief that more is better,” says Beth Conover, a pediatric nurse practitioner and director of Nebraska MotherToBaby, an information service about medication exposure during pregnancy. “I don’t think women receive enough information about supplement use in pregnancy.” Conover’s comments…

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Mother-to-baby transmission of hepatitis B: a breakthrough?

“Mother-to-newborn transmission of the hepatitis B virus is an enormous global problem”, says Joan Block, executive director and cofounder of the Hepatitis B Foundation. “Of the 350 million individuals living with chronic hepatitis B worldwide, most were infected at birth through perinatal transmission.” New research, suggesting a possible treatment to prevent perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), could be a vital breakthrough. Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection…

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Is it possible to collect data directly from pregnant women?

The Pregnancy and Medicine Initiative has talked a lot about the data gap around pregnancy and medication. We’ve also highlighted how hard it can be to collect such information. Practical and ethical roadblocks exist which can hinder the gathering of this vital data but it’s crucial that a way around it is found. A large-scale study in Europe is attempting…

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Perceptions on pregnancy & medication

Being pregnant can be a challenging time for any woman, but some face more obstacles than others. Around 10% of women face serious medical conditions requiring treatment during pregnancy, yet we are lacking sufficient information about the implications of medication use on mother and child. Because perception and misconceptions have a strong role in this issue, we polled visitors of…

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Pregnant moms with diseases shouldn’t have to be brave

What if pregnant women and their doctors didn’t have to be brave to tackle medical conditions or serious diseases during pregnancy? What if fear were replaced by fact? Then every day, pregnant women and their doctors would know enough about their treatment or medication options to make informed decisions. You can help us move these pregnant women from dark to…

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Psychotropic medication during pregnancy

An estimated 50 million Europeans (11% of the population) experience a mental disorder at some time in their lives. With mental disorders so common, it is vital that women get the right advice on how to manage their condition during pregnancy. Psychotropic medications during pregnancy: the facts Despite the staggering prevalence of depression during pregnancy, huge gaps still lie in…

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Could more cancer patients consider having a family?

Progress in diagnosing and treating cancer patients is accelerating. Cancer Research UK recently announced that “half of new UK cancer patients can expect to live for another decade.” This means having a family is now within reach for many more individuals, requiring a different approach to disease management, which takes into account important aspects such as fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and…

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