Medicine safety information for mothers – Teratological information service
Keywords:We provide information on medications and other external factors that have an adverse impact on fertility, pregnancy and fetal development. We also advise you on all medication issues during breastfeeding. You can contact us when you are only just planning the pregnancy.
Teratological information service chat (opens in new window, links to another website)
In our chat service, we can provide generalized answers concerning the suitability of particular medications for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Our chat service is open on Mon and Fri from 13:00 to 15:00.
Leave us a request for contact online (opens in new window, links to another website)
When the Teratology Information Service is closed, you can leave us a request for contact online. We will call you during office hours within the next three (3) working days.
We make no comment on how the mother, the pregnancy, or the child are cared for, and we do not prescribe medications. When the service is not open, please contact your local maternity clinic. If you want to talk about exposure and risks at work, please contact your occupational health care service in the first instance.
We can also be contacted by health care professionals, pharmacies, the authorities, and the media. Health care professionals may also contact us with patient-related queries by e-mail at: konsultaatiot.teratologinen@hus.fi. We do not respond to questions sent by the general public by e-mail.
If you cannot find an answer to your question here, please contact us either by phone or via the chat
News: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Remember that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided already from the 20th week of pregnancy. In their assessments, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend avoiding the use of NSAIDs from 20 weeks of pregnancy onwards.
Their use should be limited to situations where there are no safer alternatives, the dose should be the lowest possible, and the length of use should be restricted to a maximum of two days (EMA 2022; FDA 2020). Possible longer-term use should be discussed with the attending physician, and in such a situation, the physician must assess the risks and the need to monitor the pregnancy.
Repetitive use of NSAIDs from these weeks onwards can adversely affect the fetal renal function and the blood supply to the heart of the fetus. The danger of harm to the fetus is emphasized as the pregnancy progresses, and from 28 weeks of pregnancy, repeated use of NSAIDs is contraindicated. Paracetamol is the preferred choice if an analgesic is needed.
Hoping to get pregnant – important to take into account already when planning pregnancy (opens in new window, links to another website)
Many exposures can adversely affect fertility. The differentiation of the fetal organs begins as soon as you miss your menstrual period, and the weeks during the first trimester of pregnancy are a vulnerable time for fetal malformations. Therefore, already when planning...
Pregnancy and folic acid (opens in new window, links to another website)
Adequate intake of folate (dietary form), a vitamin of the B complex, and folic acid (a form in vitamin supplements) is important for the normal development of the fetus. In several population-based studies, the adequate intake of folic acid has been shown to reduce the...
