The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medications to ensure their general safety and effectiveness. All prescription and over-the-counter medications are tested to see if they are safe and effective before they become available to the public. Pregnant women usually are not included in these tests because of the possible risks to the unborn child. As a result, little information is available about the safety of most medications during pregnancy -- including those available over the counter -- when they first become available. It is important to know that dietary and herbal products also could be harmful to an unborn baby or have other side effects when used during pregnancy.
Pregnant animals sometimes are studied to help identify harmful medications. But animal studies do not always show how medications will work in humans. They might miss some harmful effects that medications have. And, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal products are not always tested in animals.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medications
to ensure their general safety and effectiveness. All prescription
and over-the-counter medications are tested to see if they are safe
and effective before they become...
More
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medications to ensure their general safety and effectiveness. All prescription and over-the-counter medications are tested to see if they are safe and effective before they become available to the public. Pregnant women usually are not included in these tests because of the possible risks to the unborn child. As a result, little information is available about the safety of most medications during pregnancy -- including those available over the counter -- when they first become available. It is important to know that dietary and herbal products also could be harmful to an unborn baby or have other side effects when used during pregnancy.
