Side Effects of Drugs in Pregnancy Pain Relief

Pregnant women who consume drugs pain relief category codeine, oxycodone and opioids on high-risk early pregnancy gave birth to babies with congenital defects.

Although the number of cases is small, but the babies whose mothers consumed opioids have a higher risk than other babies to suffer from congenital defects.

Types of abnormalities that may be suffered by infants include heart is not fully developed, neural tube defects (spina bifida), or gastroschisis (bowel is outside the body).

Conclusions are derived from research by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States, which is one of the largest studies on the effects of opioids in pregnancy. The results of this research published in the American Journal of Obstretic & Gynecology. The study was conducted based on data the National Birth Defect Prevention Study involving pregnant women from 10 states who gave birth between the years 1997 to 2005.

Of the 17 thousand pregnant women who delivered babies birth defects, 454 or 2.6 percent reported using opioid analgesics type a month before pregnancy or in the first tri-semester of pregnancy. As a comparison of the control group, the use of opioids accounted for two percent.

"Opioids and their receptors act as growth regulators during embryonic development. This may lead to defects in the fetus," said Cheryl S. Broussard, lead researcher.