Correlates of prescription drug use during pregnancy

To evaluate the extent of prescription drug use and the use of category D or X drugs during pregnancy and examine the maternal characteristics associated with use.

Medical record and survey data from an observational cohort of pregnant women from 2001 to 2003 (n=1626) were analyzed to examine the use of prescription drugs and the use of category D or X drugs.

A majority of these pregnant women were prescribed a prescription drug (56%), and 4% of women were prescribed a category D or X drug. The most common classes of medications prescribed were antibiotics (62%), analgesics (18%), asthma medications (18%), and antiemetics (17%). After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, African American women were more likely to use a prescription drug than white women. Lower levels of educational attainment were also associated with greater use of prescription drugs compared with women who had graduated from college. Women with a chronic health condition, gestational diabetes, a prenatal hospitalization, a history of infertility, or symptoms of acid reflux were also more likely to use a prescription drug than women without these conditions. Nulliparous women and women who were married or living with a partner were less likely to use category D or X drugs during pregnancy than women without these characteristics. Women with a history of infertility and those with a chronic health condition were more likely to use a category D or X drugs during pregnancy than those without these conditions.

The common use of prescription drugs during pregnancy supports the importance of expanding the evidence about the risks and benefits of prescription drug use during pregnancy and suggests the need for systems to safeguard prescribing practices for women of reproductive age.