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Publication
Medication use during pregnancy: patterns and associated factors
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
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| 8.94 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Pregnancy causes physiological changes that can increase vulnerability to illness and alter drug pharmacokinetics, while some medications cross the placenta and affect foetal development, especially during organogenesis. These risks highlight the importance of careful monitoring and support regulatory updates such as the FDA’s 2015 revision of pregnancy risk categories. Objectives: To identify factors associated with medicine use during pregnancy and describe consumption patterns among pregnant women in northeastern Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 205 women from Bragança and Mirandela, all of whom had experienced at least one pregnancy. Data were collected between April and June 2023 using a structured questionnaire adapted from Guerra et al. (2008) [2]. Results: A total of 79.5% reported using medication during pregnancy. The most used substances were folic acid (12.2%), paracetamol (29.3%), and doxylamine-pyridoxine (23.4%). The most frequent groups included dietary supplements, analgesics, and antiemetics. Although supplements are not classified as medicines, their inclusion is justified due to widespread use and relevance during pregnancy. A statistically significant association was found between age and medicine use (p < 0.01). Most women reported having received professional guidance and being aware of the associated risks. Conclusion: Women in northeastern Trás-os-Montes demonstrated awareness of medication risks and used medicines under professional supervision, despite few reporting complications. These results underline the importance of ongoing education and the role of healthcare professionals in ensuring safe medicine use during pregnancy.
Description
Keywords
Pregnancy Medication use
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Medina, Flávia; Rodrigues, Leandra; Coelho, Joana; Nascimento Luís (2025). Medication use during pregnancy: patterns and associated factors . In 13th APLF Annual Conference. Aveiro. ISSN 2042-0984. 16:5, p. 40-41
Publisher
Associação Portuguesa de Licenciados em Farmácia (APLF)