The East Midlands Maternal Medicine Network (EMMMN) brings together healthcare professionals from relevant backgrounds with pertinent expertise to coordinate specialist care.
Medication
Taking or prescribing medication during pregnancy is one of the main concerns both for prospective parents and for professionals. The worries are often around the harm that medication may cause to the unborn child.
It is important to also think about the possible harms of not treating the underlying condition – this may include complications for the mother but also for the child. For instance, we know that flares of inflammatory or autoimmune conditions are linked to babies not being able to grow well, being born too early, as well as a range of other pregnancy complications. Some of the links maybe more surprising, such as the long term mental health outcomes for the offspring of mothers whose own mental health was inadequately managed whilst they were pregnant.
Decisions on what medication to take are therefore a balance between the possible benefits and harms of taking the medication and the possible benefits and harms of not taking them. To help you make good decisions you need access to good information.
Research into the effects of taking different medications is a slow growing field. Here are some resources that bring together existing knowledge:
This website provides reliable, evidence-based, and accurate information about use of medicines in pregnancy, in the form of freely available patient information leaflets called ‘Bumps‘ (‘Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy’).
This is effectively the professional’s version of bumps. It is free but requires registration.
This resource provides accurate and independent information about medications to treat mental health conditions during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Several are available in multiple languages.
Consensus advice on Prescribing of Corticosteroids and Immunomodulatory. Medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Full reference link available in Rheumatology section
The LactMed® database contains information on drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. It includes information on the levels of such substances in breast milk and infant blood, and the possible adverse effects in the nursing infant.