Safe Medication Lists on the Internet
More than 90 percent of women use at least one medicine during pregnancy. To learn about taking medicine during pregnancy, about half of women ages 18 to 44 years old look for health information on the internet. A new study shows that while many internet websites post lists of medicines that are safe to take during pregnancy, for many of the medicines listed, there is not enough known to determine their safety or risk for use during pregnancy. Remember, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant:
- Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking or thinking about taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as dietary or herbal supplements.
- Don’t stop or start taking any type of medicine that you need without first talking with a health care provider.
- Check with your health care provider about the information that you find online. A conversation with your health care provider can help ensure that you are taking only what is necessary.
Learn more about medication use during pregnancy, and visit the CDC’s Medications and Pregnancy webpage.
Graphics / Images
Related Links
Contact Information
CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
media@cdc.gov
Spokespersons
Cheryl Broussard, PhD
“Pregnant women are taking more medicine than ever, but there’s still a lot to learn about the safety of those medicines. Don’t use information you find on the internet to bypass a conversation with your doctor. Use this information as a starting point to talk with your doctor and be sure you’re only taking what’s necessary.”
Cheryl Broussard, PhD - Epidemiologist, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Additional Quotes
“When a drug is approved by the FDA it is labeled with what we know about that drug's safety and effectiveness. This information is found in the prescribing information and in patient information like package inserts and medication guides. Always talk with your doctor and discuss any information that you find on the internet and whether it applies to you.”
Melissa S Tassinari, PhD - Senior Clinical Analyst, Pediatric & Maternal Health Staff, Office of New Drugs in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this site, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC-INFO
