Drug safety in pregnant women and their babies: ignorance not bliss.
Although clinical trials address questions regarding drug safety for most segments of the population, pregnant women constitute one special group that is "orphaned" with respect to this issue. The lack of adequate pregnancy safety information for the vast majority of medications, combined with a need to make appropriate treatment decisions and to communicate risk information to a potentially vulnerable population, are some of the most challenging and critical women's health issues.
Chambers
C D
CD
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA. chchambers@ucsd.edu
Polifka
J E
JE
Friedman
J M
JM
D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004346:Drug Information Services; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D018579:Patient Selection; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016387:Women's Health