The Pros And Cons Of Prescription Medication

There are various advantages and disadvantages to the use of medication that is available to pregnant women. One advantage being that it is a tool that can prevent a child bearer from fatal complications while increasing their survival rate. For example, women who are diagnosed with psychotic disorders are often faced with an unusual risk-benefit situation during pregnancy, and the use of medication can save their lives. One disadvantage of prescription medication is that it can increase the possibility of birth defects or even kill the fetus. Potentially, almost any drug used by the mother during pregnancy could be deleterious to the fetus, causing an anatomic defect (Sachdeva, Patel, & Patel, 2007).
There has been a dramatic increase of drug-related birth defects due to the fact that psychoactive drugs can easily cross over the placenta and blood-brain barrier. About 2 to 3% of all birth defects result from drugs that are taken to treat a disorder or symptom (Sachdeva et al., 2007). Certain prescription medications can interfere with prenatal development that can affect the blood and oxygen supply to the baby, which causes the fetus to be undeveloped. Preterm labor is triggered when the blood supply is decreased which causes the muscles of the uterus to contract forcefully (Sachdeva …show more content…
Babies born with NAS often have seizures, low birthweight, tremors, overactive reflexes and feeding problems. To minimize the risk of fetal and neonatal toxicity, including an abstinence syndrome, the physician should prescribe the lowest dosage that provides adequate control of the woman's illness (Pediatrics, 2007). By prescribing the lowest dosage and avoiding treatment during the first trimester, it allows the mother to treat their illness without dangerously affecting the welfare of the child and