Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Monitoring outcomes of suicide attempts in pregnancy can better assess drug dangers

Monitoring outcomes of suicide attempts in pregnancy can better assess drug dangers

September 17, 2008

Monitoring the health of children born to women who attempted suicide while pregnant can shed light on which medicines and what doses are particularly dangerous to developing fetuses, according to researchers from Hungary who publish their findings in a series of reports in a special issue of Toxicology and Industrial Health, published this week by SAGE.

Information about the harm particular drugs can do to unborn children - a measure known as tetrogenic potential - is generally extrapolated from experimental animal investigations before the drug is approved for sale, because ethical considerations prevent regulated tests of safe doses being conducted in women who are pregnant.




However, because it is difficult to translate the findings from animal models to a real human situation, regulators err on the side of caution, and frequently prohibit the use of potentially beneficial agents in pregnant women.

"Many drugs are subject to contraindications or special warnings because their effects have not been sufficiently studied during pregnancy or non-clinical studies revealed adverse teratogenic or fetotoxic effects," explain the authors. "Data from self-poisoned pregnant women provide an appropriate source of information for use in better estimating the potential human risks of exposure to drugs during pregnancy."

In desiging their study, the Hungarian researchers reasoned that if no congenital abnormalities occur in children born to women who ingest very large doses of a drug during critical developmental periods, then this information supports the notion that the ingested drug is not a human teratogen. What is more, they report, self-poisoned women present the opportunity to gather data on dose-response relationships, which are difficult to ascertain from animal models, because they are hospitalised and undergo extensive pharmacological tests.

To test their hypothesis that self-poisoned pregnant women could give useful drug-safety data, the reserachers studied outcomes of all such admissions to the Department of Toxicological Internal Medicine, Korányi Hospital, Budapest. During the study period of 1960-1993, 1044 pregnant women were admitted and 1021 of these attempted suicide with drugs (the other 23 pregnant women had accidental intoxication due to poisonous mushroom ingestion or carbon monoxide).

Among them, these women had 411 live-born infants, and 367 exposed children were evaluated with cognitive and behavioural tests as they grew up. The test results were compared with results for siblings whose gestational periods were normal. The researchers recorded occurances of congenital abnormalities, retardation in fetal growth (the most sensitive indicator of a fetotoxic effect of drugs), rates of preterm and low birthweight babies, and the deatials of the particular drug and dose taken by mothers.

Diazepam was one of the most frequently used drugs, with 229 pregnant women using it to attempt suicide. 112 women went on to deliver live babies, 15 of whom had congenital abnormalities. However, according to the researchers, when they further analysed the doses and timing of drug ingestion, they discovered that most of the congenital abnormalities could not be considered a teratogenic effect of diazepam because the time of suicide attempts did not overlap with the critical period for producing the defects.

"Although suicide attempts with large doses of diazepam would be expected to produce an extreme pathological condition in the embryos and fetuses, such was not observed," note the authors. "Thus congenital abnormalities in the offspring of pregnant women with psychiatric disorders are mainly associated with psychiatric disorders and related lifestyle (eg, multiple alcohol and substance abuse) or their interaction, but not by diazepam itself."

Although the authors acknowledge there are limitations to the method - including the fact that pregnant women who attempt suicide are younger and with lower average socioeconomic status than the general population, and they tend to combine excess medications with large amounts of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs - they conclude that using the self-poisoning model for estimating human teratogenic risks of drugs is feasible and potentially beneficial.

They suggest that an international registry of self-poisoned pregnant women should be set up to enable more in-depth study of the effects of various doses of medication in pregnancy.

SAGE Publications UK



Related Pregnant Current Events and Pregnant News Articles Pregnant Current Events and Pregnant News RSS Pregnant Current Events and Pregnant News RSS
Many pregnant women avoid HIV screening in Africa
'Prevention is the best cure' is a common expression, but what happens if preventative measures are not used? A large proportion of pregnant Ugandan women are going out of their way not to be HIV tested, increasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission.

Enjoying school key to tackling teenage pregnancy
Youth development programmes that tackle deprivation and help children and young people enjoy school are successful in reducing teenage pregnancy rates.

Faithful mothers have healthier babies
Faculty of 1000 reviewers examine a study from New Zealand on whether prolonged exposure to the father's semen protects new mothers against pre-eclampsia and having an undersized baby

Playing sport up to the end of pregnancy is healthy for the baby and the mother
Contrary to more conservative customs, exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the weight or size of the foetus.

Expectant moms, babies subjects of new Singapore study to prevent obesity and diabetes in adults
Three Singapore biomedical institutions have launched a major, long-term study of pregnant mothers and their fetuses as well as infant children to determine just how profoundly environmental factors early in life influence the onset of diseases such as obesity and diabetes in later years.

Poll: Many parents, high-priority adults who tried to get H1N1 vaccine unable to get it
A new national poll from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so.

Teen girls diagnosed with STI more likely to seek treatment for partners after watching video
A study at Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that girls diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) who watched a short educational video were three times more likely to discuss their condition with their partners and to ensure partner treatment than girls diagnosed and treated without seeing the film.

MSU researcher: Obesity significantly cuts odds of successful pregnancy
Obese women are as much as 28 percent less likely to become pregnant and have a successful pregnancy, according to research that earned a Michigan State University professor a national award.

Reduction in glycotoxins from heat-processing of foods reduces risk of chronic disease
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine report that cutting back on the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body's natural defenses regardless of age or health status.

Initial Results Show Pregnant Women Mount Strong Immune Response To One Dose of 2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine
Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.
More Pregnant Current Events and Pregnant News Articles
I'm Pregnant!: A week-by-week guide from conception to birth

I'm Pregnant!: A week-by-week guide from conception to birth
by Lesley Regan (Author), Joe Leigh Simpson (Foreword)

An invaluable guide on the journey from conception to birth, this user-friendly, chronologically arranged reference recognizes that women want full and accurate information at each stage of their pregnancy.

  "I'm Not Fat, I'm Pregnant" Maternity Tee (Small)
by Blooma

Our novelty T-shirt are so soft and comfortable, you want to wear it all the time. The perfect piece to layer or wear alone, they are perfect all year round. 100% Cotton, machine wash. Order your pre-pregnancy size.

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth
by Jenny McCarthy (Author)

The acclaimed national bestseller-a no-holds-barred account of what you can really expect when you're expecting

Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gassiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion, the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared the discomforts and humiliations of pregnancy, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy!

In the New York Times best-selling Belly Laughs, actress and new mother Jenny McCarthy reveals the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the unseemly disfigurement that go along with pregnancy. Never shy, frequently crude, and always laugh-out-loud funny, McCarthy covers it all in the grittiest of girlfriend detail. From morning...

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, 3 tests

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, 3 tests
by First Response

Results 5 days sooner (First Response can detect the pregnancy hormone 5 days sooner than the day of your missed period.) First to detect the pregnancy hormone (Versus digital-read tests). Over 99% accurate (99% Accurate at detecting typical pregnancy hormone levels. Note that hormone levels vary. See insert.) Easy to read with easy read result line. Now you no longer have to wait until you miss your period! In clinical testing, First Response detected the hormone levels in 69% of women 4 days before their expected period, in 83% of women 3 days before their expected period, in 93% of women 2 days before their expected period, and in 93% of women 1 day before ther expected period. For in-vitro diagnostic use. This Kit Contains: 3 - First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test Sticks and...

Pregnant Not Fat - 3 Inch Snowflake Porcelain Ornament

Pregnant Not Fat - 3 Inch Snowflake Porcelain Ornament
by 3dRose LLC

Pregnant Not Fat Ornament is measuring 3 inches. This Glossy Porcelain Snowflake Ornament is perfect gift for grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Commemorate each holiday season with a new ornament. Image is printed on both sides. Comes with the gold hanging cord.

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition)

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition)
by Ann Douglas (Author)

The ultimate guide to conception, birth, and everything in between.

Unlike all those otherbossy, tell-you-what-to-do titles, this funny, entertaining guide presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, and empowers them to make informed personal choices. It's packed with tools you won't find anywhere else, including:

Charts highlighting the risks of using various over-the-counter drug productsduring pregnancyLists of the ten best -- and worst --baby productsA set of emergency childbirth proceduresForthright discussions of difficult topics like infertility, high-risk pregnancy, and pregnancy and infant loss that other books are loathe to...

Ingrid & Isabel Women's Maternity Everyday BellaBand, White, Size Two

Ingrid & Isabel Women's Maternity Everyday BellaBand, White, Size Two
by BellaBand

Specifically designed for expectant mothers. Ultra-soft, stretch nylon. Holds up loose fitting pants, skirts or shorts. Disguises bulky unfastened buttons and zippers. Conceals excess fabric and smooths out panels. Ideal for extra reinforcement over maternity waistbands. Ingrid & Isabel Style 1111

ProudBody Pregnancy Belly Painting Kit

ProudBody Pregnancy Belly Painting Kit
by ProudBody, Inc.

Now moms can turn their pregnant bellies into a work of art. Our water-based paints are easy to. apply and remove. Makes a great activity for the entire family. Kit will easily paint 20 pictures. covering mom's entire belly. Any unused paints can be stored for future use such as face painting. children's faces: Kit includes: 8-color professional water-based make-up palette (black, white, red, blue, orange, pink,. yellow, green). Belly painting brush. Belly painting sponge. Painting tips & Design ideas. Sheet of colorful temporary belly tattoos.

I'm Pregnant!  Now What Do I Eat?

I'm Pregnant! Now What Do I Eat?
by Hope Ricciotti (Author), Vincent Connelly (Author), DK Publishing (Author)

From eating healthy during pregnancy to getting back to an ideal weight after birth, Dr. Hope Ricciotti has written the perfect book for the busy pregnant woman. Women will learn how to manage a healthy diet, reduce weight gain, and deal with common dietary problems during pregnancy. AUTHOR BIO: A practicing doctor and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Hope Ricciotti has also been a contributor to many magazines and co-author of several cookbooks. She has special expertise in nutrition during pregnancy.

Pregnant Couple Personalized Claydough Ornament

Pregnant Couple Personalized Claydough Ornament
by Calliope Designs

A fun way to remember that Christmas you were Expecting! Personalize and date the Pregnant Snow Couple ornament with a cute phrase such as "Great Expectations!" and the year. How about "Expect Something Great in 2008!" "Baby on Board" "Expecting Someone Wonderful" The parents-to-be will remember their Christmas when pregnant... or maybe would like to use an ornament to give to their parents to tell them they're expecting! 4 1/2" X 3 1/2". Baby's First Christmas Expecting A Baby.

© 2009 BrightSurf.com