When it comes to pregnancy taboos, some organizations are tackling them head-on. Motherisk, a Canadian program that counsels women on medication use during pregnancy, is one such place. It offers mothers-to-be, and breastfeeding women, advice and resources on subjects that vary from life-threatening diseases to minor ailments. But what Motherisk does particularly well is acknowledge that the medical profession doesn’t…
Author: Martina O'Regan
Treating depression during pregnancy
There’s a one in four chance that a woman will suffer from depression during her life. And given this statistic, there’s a fair chance that depression may coincide with pregnancy. So what should women who take drugs to manage their depression do if they want to have a baby, or if they find themselves pregnant? Opinion surrounding the use of…
Top tips for diabetic women in pregnancy
Over 30 years ago, Dr. Lois Jovanovič, the Chief Scientific Officer Samsun Diabetes Research Institute, postulated that diabetic women have exactly the same chances as non-diabetic women of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Here, Dr. Jovanovič talks about the different choices diabetic women have to make when pregnant, and shares some of the tips that she gives her patients.…
Are anti-malarials safe in pregnancy?
A lot of women across the world are lucky. If they don’t live in regions where diseases like malaria are endemic, then they don’t need to worry about infection and treatment while they’re pregnant. These women don’t have to think about whether or not anti-malarial drugs will affect their unborn child, they just follow the advice of institutions like the…
Bridging the knowledge gap on drug use in pregnancy
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
