Is promethazine safe in pregnancy:
Promethazine
The UK Teratology Information Service (UKTIS) created this fact sheet for the general public.UKTIS is a non-profit organization that is paid for by UK health departments through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Since 1983, UKTIS has given medical professionals scientific information about the effects of medicines, recreational drugs, and chemicals on a developing baby during pregnancy.
What’s that?
Promethazine (Phenergan®) is an antihistamine that makes you sleepy. It is used to treat allergies, nausea and vomiting (even during pregnancy), and some sleep problems for a short time.
When deciding whether or not to use promethazine while pregnant, it is important to weigh the possible benefits to your health and well-being against any possible risks to you or your baby, some of which may depend on how many weeks pregnant you are. Your doctor or a specialist will be able to help you decide how to treat yourself.
What if I took promethazine while I was pregnant?
If you are taking any medications while pregnant, you should consult your doctor about this. Then, you and your doctor can decide together if you need to keep getting treatment. If you do, your doctor will make sure you are getting the best dose.
If a pregnant woman takes promethazine, can the baby be born with birth defects?
During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a baby’s body and most of its organs are formed. Some medicines are more likely to cause birth defects during this time than at any other.
Over 5,000 women who took promethazine early in their pregnancies were studied because it is often used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy. These studies don’t make me worried about a link to birth defects in babies.
Can take promethazine while pregnant lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, early birth, or a small baby at birth?
No studies have looked at how likely these things are to happen when a woman is pregnant and taking promethazine. Even though more research is needed to make sure there are no problems, promethazine is used a lot during pregnancy, so any common side effects have probably already been found.
Can take promethazine while pregnant cause the child to have trouble learning and behaving?
The brain of a baby keeps getting better right up until the end of pregnancy. Taking certain medicines at any time during pregnancy could have a long-term effect on a child’s ability to learn or behave.
No studies have looked at how children who were exposed to promethazine in the womb learn and act.
Will I need to watch my baby more?
As part of their routine prenatal care, most women will get a scan around 20 weeks into their pregnancy to check for birth defects. If you are pregnant and take promethazine, your baby does not usually need to be watched more closely.
If a baby is exposed to promethazine in the womb in the two weeks before birth, it may cause temporary changes in the nervous system that can change how the baby acts for a few days after birth. The baby may cry more, be more restless, react differently to things, and be harder to calm down. Women who have taken promethazine close to the time they give birth may be told to have their baby in a place where the baby can be watched and treated if needed.
If the father has taken promethazine, is there any danger to my baby?
We don’t believe the father’s use of promethazine before or around the time you became pregnant would put your baby at risk.
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