[Drug prescription by the dentist – choices during pregnancy and lactation period]

Pregnant women undergo several physiological changes – including when it comes to taking medication. Many substances, when taken by the expectant or lactating mother, will be transferred to the foetus or newborn, and not all drugs that help the mother will be beneficial for the baby. Especially in early pregnancy, during organogenesis, the foetus is highly sensitive. If this early development is disturbed by harmful substances such as certain medications, there can be serious consequences. In the worst case, the child is born with a malformation or is limited in its mental development. But later in the course of pregnancy, too, the use of certain drugs is dangerous. Although the risk of malformations now is no longer as high as in the first few weeks, certain drugs can, for example, trigger contractions or affect the baby.