Drug use during pregnancy: survey in 250 women consulting at a university hospital center

A prospective study of drug use in pregnancy was performed in the maternity outpatient department of a university hospital in Southwestern France. Two hundred and fifty pregnant women were selected at random and interviewed. Eighty-four percent of the women reported drug consumption, with an average of two medications per week. Some factors were significantly associated with an increase in drug use: European origin, high level of education, medical history, alcohol consumption. The most commonly used drugs were iron (43% of the women), medications for venous disorders (22%) and gynecology (21%) and analgesics (19%). Chronic use (beginning before pregnancy) occurred in 9% of the women. Self medication accounted for around 20% of the women. Adverse effects were described by the women 25 times out of 544 exposures: they concerned 10 drugs and were not "serious". After delivery, 14 cases of malformations of the new-born, three stillbirths, 25 neonatal pathologies and 10 resuscitations were observed. Except one neonatal withdrawal syndrome after "in utero" exposure to benzodiazepines, no relationship between drug exposure and pregnancy outcome could be established.