Links to Other Websites

Many organizations are committed to understanding more about medication use during pregnancy and providing helpful resources for women and healthcare providers. Click the links below to find more information.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The AAP provides information related to children’s health, including the AAP policy statement on drugs and chemicals in breast milk.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
The site contains information related to women’s health issues and those related to pregnancy.

Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry
Women who have taken antiretroviral medications during pregnancy can sign up for this registry. Signing up for this registry is completely voluntary. The purpose of the registry is to signal to experts if new adverse outcomes of pregnancy might be linked with certain antiretroviral medications.

Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry
Women who have taken antiepileptic medications during pregnancy can sign up for this registry. Signing up for this registry is completely voluntary. The purpose of the registry is to find out how often major birth defects might occur among infants whose mothers took antiepileptic medications during pregnancy.

Child Medication Safety:  Every year, one out of every 150 two-year-olds is treated in an emergency department for an accidental medication overdose. Find tips for keeping all medications up and away and out of sight of young children.

Food and Drug Administration  (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration site contains information related to the use of medications during pregnancy, mainly within:

• Center for Drug Evaluation and Research promotes and protects the health of Americans by assuring that all prescription and over-the-counter drugs are safe and effective. CDER also houses the Pregnancy Labeling Task Force. For information about product labeling, including information on the proposed labeling changes, visit this site.
• FDA’s Office of Women’s Health  has compiled information on existing post-marketing pregnancy registries, which monitor exposure to specific medications during pregnancy.The FDA Office of Women’s Health has also developed helpful fact sheets about medications in pregnancy, which are available in English and Spanish. They’ve also developed a t ool in English and Spanish to help you keep a record of the medicines you use.
• FDA maintains an alphabetical index of Safety Information for Specific Drugs . This includes FDA Alerts about a rare side effect in nursing infants whose mothers take codeine products, an increase in the risk of birth defects with paroxetine (Paxil) and a description of the strengthened risk management plan for isotretinoin (Accutane).
• FDA maintains a list of products with post-marketing requirements here.

March of Dimes Medications Webpage
This webpage provides information related to the use of medications and herbal products during pregnancy.

National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN)
The NBDPN is a national network of state and population-based programs for birth defects surveillance and research.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
This site contains information related to healthy pregnancies. It includes several fact sheets on medications and maternal conditions during pregnancy:

• Information on antidepressant medication use during pregnancy
• Information on the effects of hypertension and high blood pressure on pregnancy.

National Women’s Health Information Center
A web site and toll-free call center that provide free, reliable health information for women everywhere. The site contains a database of resources and contains topic areas such as pregnancy and medications.

Mother To Baby (on behalf of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists)
This website provides comprehensive information to mothers, healthcare professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy. A valuable resource provided by this website is the Fact Sheets, located under the Resource tab. These sheets, available in English and Spanish, answer frequently asked questions about particular medications and exposures, and their safety or risk during pregnancy.

REPROTOX
The REPROTOX system was developed as an information source for laboratory scientists, practicing physicians, and government agencies. It provides commentaries on the potentially harmful effects of chemicals and physical agents on human pregnancy, reproduction, and development. A subscription is needed to access this service.

TERIS- The Teratogen Information System
TERIS is a computerized database to assist physicians or other healthcare professionals in assessing the risks of possible teratogenic exposures in pregnant women. The database consists of a series of agent summaries, each of which is based on a thorough review of published clinical and experimental literature. Each summary includes a risk assessment derived by consensus of an Advisory Board comprising nationally-recognized authorities in clinical teratology. A subscription is needed to access this service.

Vaccines and Medications in Pregnancy Surveillance System (VAMPSS)
The Vaccines and Medications in Pregnancy Surveillance System (VAMPSS) is a new nationwide post-marketing surveillance system established to comprehensively monitor the use and safety of vaccines and medications during pregnancy.