A new study reveals that the Metoclopramide, a nausea medication is safe for pregnant women. This is the first time that a medication was confirmed safe for morning sickness.
Morning sickness, which is manifested by nausea and vomiting, is typical in most pregnancies. This may vary from mild to severe morning sickness and may also lead to weight loss. To treat this illness, the drug metoclopramide is usually prescribed when treatments of vitamin B and antihistamines don't work, according to the study.
The researchers from Denmark analyzed pregnancy data of one million women pregnant during 1997 to 2011.
Their findings presented that the metoclopramide is a safe treatment and has no negative effects such as higher risk of still birth, sudden abortion or any major birth defects on the baby.
Lead author Dr Björn Pasternak said that they were amazed to discover prescription of the drug was actually common during pregnancies way before this study was initiated.
Out of the one million pregnant women studied, about 40,000 took some doses of metoclopramide while carrying a child in their womb. According to the birth data, there is no association of the drug causing any noteworthy increase of infant death or birth defects. There wasn't any link as well to increased risk of underweight or premature babies.
In fact, the risk of congenital defect for the infant's first year was lower in metoclopramide exposed women (2.5 percent) than those metolopramide-free pregnancy (2.6 percent).
Around 10 to 15 percent of pregnant women need some medication to treat morning sickness. With the evidence in favor of metoclopramide, treatment could be easily adapted and simply taken.
Dr. Pasternak also said that taking the medication do not have any immediate side effects. The pregnant women who take metolopramide would be relieved of morning sickness and have little to no negative experience to deter her from going about her regular daily activities.
The study was published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
