The risks of self-medication when a woman is pregnant or possibly pregnant are very great, both for the mother and the fetus.
According to a survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 86% of pregnant women consume some medication during the nine months of gestation, however, what is really worrying is the high number of self – medication cases, which can constitute a serious risk to health.
The cases of major congenital malformations in newborns is estimated at 3%, of which 5% would be related to drug abuse, especially in crucial periods of pregnancy such as the first week of gestation or the period of formation of the vital organs, which occurs in the first two months.
The WHO recommends considering all fertile women as “potentially pregnant” when prescribing medications and avoiding, if possible, prescription during the first trimester of pregnancy, as there are greater possibilities of fetal malformation.