title: Drug safety in pregnancy--monitoring congenital anomalies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper outlines research into the causes of congenital anomalies, and introduces a pan-European study. The potential roles of nurses and midwives in this area are illustrated by a case report.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Since the thalidomide disaster, use of drugs in pregnancy has been carefully monitored to prevent anything similar happening again. However, monitoring is incomplete and questions remain unanswered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many medicines are essential for the health of pregnant women. However, drug use in pregnancy requires surveillance. Methods include spontaneous reporting of adverse events, cohort studies and case control studies. It is hoped that a Europe-wide study, combining data from several congenital anomaly registers, will provide a sufficiently large population to assess the impact of selected drugs on congenital anomalies. However, this work depends on the consistency of reporting by nurses and midwives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drug safety in pregnancy remains undetermined. Collaboration across Europe has the potential to provide a framework for safety evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prescribers should consider the possibility of pregnancy in women of child-bearing age. Careful review of maternal drug use in early pregnancy is essential. Midwives and nurses should be aware of adverse event drug reporting systems, including congenital anomaly registers.
authors.affiliation: Singleton Hospital, AMBU Health Board, Swansea, UK. margery.morgan@wales.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Margery
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Lolkje T W
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: De Jong-van den Berg
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D003221:Confusion / Q000451:nursing*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000451:nursing*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D013723:Teratogens