Drug use in pregnancy: east German data of an international collaborative study

In an epidemiological collaborative international study under the auspices of WHO-Euro the drug use in pregnancy was investigated in 22 countries in 14,778 women and in hospitals of three different levels. The East German state Thuringia took part according to the annual birth rate with 300 women in 3 hospitals (Jena, Gera, Greiz). In the international average, 14% of the enrolled women took no drugs during pregnancy before admission to hospital for delivery. In East Germany 44% of the women taking part in the study had no drug administration during pregnancy. The critical use of iron preparations and vitamins there has to be mentioned. Under delivery, 99% of the Thuringian women received drugs. In the puerperium the administration of ergot derivatives and of laxatives exceeds the international average and has to be critically revised, but the administration of antiinfectives in only 1/5 and of analgetics 1/3 of the international average.