Medical Expert Warns About Self Medication During Pregnancy

medicating during pregnancy could cause serious
complications to the expected baby.
Self-medication is the practice of consuming drugs
not prescribed by a qualified medical expert. It is a
common practice in the Nigerian society.
The experts told NAN in separate interviews that
self-medication by pregnant women could cause
serious side-effects, such as malformation in
children or hindrance in normal growth of the baby.
Dr Akinyemi Olaleye, a consultant obstetrician and
gynaecologist, said that pregnant women should
always choose to see a doctor instead of arbitrarily
purchasing drugs over the counter.
"Pregnant women should never indiscriminately
purchase drugs. Although, ordinarily, self-
medication should be about Over The Counter
drugs (OTC). However, for a pregnant woman there
may be more to just a headache.
"Some drugs which a pregnant woman has been
taking prior to being pregnant can negatively have
an effect on the health of mother and child if taken
this time around.
"Simply put, multivitamin that is taken at this stage
without prescription can be disastrous. We all know
that no pregnant woman completes her gestation
without a cold, cough, fever or any other minor
ailments.
"But, whatever is the case, it is better for the
pregnant woman to consult her doctor before
proceeding to take any medications," Olaleye said.
Dr Olusola Togunde, a medical officer at the
Ikorodu General Hospital, disclosed that so many
pregnant women were involved in self-medication
which has been resulting in many complications.
"It's a common belief that pregnant women can be
helped with home-made remedies. But are we really
sure about its composition, especially with regards
to the peculiar nature of each pregnant woman?" he
asked, while stressing that drinking 'grandma's
concoctions is definitely not safe for a pregnant
woman.
Dr Motunde Ajayi, another obstetrician and
gynaecologist, said by self-medicating, a pregnant
woman puts the foetus at risk.
"Defects in the development of the reproductive
organs are common side-effects of self-medication
by pregnant women ," he said.
Ajayi said genital diseases are also associated with
self-medication in pregnancy. "Cases of urinary
retention and other problems with the urethra have
been linked with self-medicating in pregnancy," he
said.
Another Lagos-based consultant paediatrician, Dr
Sylvaline Nwizu, also said mothers should resist the
urge to indiscriminately self-medicate for their
children.
"Many mothers assume that a child has malaria,
simply because of a fever. But a child can run a
fever as a result of various conditions, such as
bacterial or viral infection, even pneumonia," she
said.
Nwizu advised mothers to maintain the standard of
seeking an expert's advice regarding the health of
their children.
NAN