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Updated: May 30, 2026
09:04
Comprehensive Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Safety of Placenta-Targeted Drug Delivery Using Three Complementary Methods
Published on: September 10, 2018
Clinical therapeutics in pregnancy
Maisa N Feghali1, Donald R Mattison
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Drug dosing during pregnancy is often unknown, leading to potential risks for both mother and fetus. Standard adult doses may be unsafe or ineffective due to physiological changes during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Obstetrics
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Most medications lack specific testing for use in pregnancy.
- Drug labeling often omits crucial information on dosing, efficacy, and maternal safety during pregnancy.
- Healthcare providers face challenges in treating pregnant patients due to data scarcity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the inadequacies of current drug labeling for pregnant populations.
- To underscore the risks associated with using standard adult drug dosages in pregnant women.
- To examine the impact of pregnancy-induced physiological changes on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Main Methods:
- Review of metabolic and physiological alterations during pregnancy.
- Analysis of the implications of these changes on drug behavior in pregnant individuals.
- Comparison of standard adult dosing with potential altered needs during gestation.
Main Results:
- Pregnancy significantly alters maternal physiology, affecting drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
- Standard adult dosing regimens are likely inappropriate for pregnant patients.
- The decision to withhold treatment must be weighed against the risks of altered drug efficacy and safety.
Conclusions:
- Standard adult drug dosing is likely incorrect and potentially unsafe during pregnancy.
- Further research is needed to establish evidence-based dosing guidelines for medications used in pregnancy.
- Informed clinical decisions require understanding pregnancy-induced physiological changes and their impact on drug therapy.
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