More Pregnancy Questions – Should my spouse avoid medicine?

Should my spouse avoid taking any medicine while she is pregnant?

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, whether or not your spouse should continue taking medicine during pregnancy is a serious question. But, if she stops taking medicine that she needs, this could harm both her and the baby. An example of this is if she has an infection called toxoplasmosis, which she can get from handling cat feces or eating infected meat. It can cause problems with the brain, eyes, heart, and other organs of a growing fetus.

This infection requires treatment with antibiotics. For pregnant women living with HIV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the drug zidovudine (AZT). Studies have found that HIV positive women who take AZT during pregnancy decrease by two-thirds the risk of passing HIV to their babies. If a diabetic woman does not take her medicine during pregnancy, she increases her risk for miscarriage and stillbirth. If asthma and/or high blood pressure are not controlled during pregnancy, problems with the fetus may result.

Talk with your health care provider about whether the benefits of taking a medication outweigh the risk for your spouse and your baby.