Cold, Flu and drugs in pregnancy

Drugs against the disease symptoms are widely used cold . But when you are expecting a baby, you have to be cautious. The basic rules to avoid mistakes.

Fever, muscle aches , headache, sore throat and stuffy nose are typical symptoms of respiratory tract infections , from the common cold to the flu. In most cases , it is caused by a virus infection .
Against them , antibiotics are useless . The only measure to be taken is to control the temperature and relieve the uncomfortable symptoms , pending the disease makes its course. What to do when the cold and flu occur in pregnancy ? What are symptomatic drugs that the mother can take safely ?

Paracetamol , safer medication in pregnancy

The safest drug to treat infections with fever and discomfort during pregnancy and lactation is acetaminophen . This is a very experienced drug and specialists have no doubt about its safety for both the mother and fetus . It is an antipyretic , ie , low body temperature and helps to control fever because, as a matter of prudence, the temperature of the mother should be kept below 38 degrees and a half.
It is also better to avoid combination drugs containing acetaminophen associated with other active ingredients. Typically, these are products with a power superior to simple analgesic paracetamol, or are indicated for the treatment of specific symptoms, such as coughing. It is best avoided , since the active ingredients associated with paracetamol, which vary from drug to drug, could have harmful effects on the fetus. The doctor will weigh the pros and cons when prescribing these drugs in each case.

Aspirin and brothers

Aspirin , ie , aspirin is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation . Some studies indicate that , if taken in the first weeks of gestation , slightly increases the risk of spontaneous abortion . At the end of pregnancy, after 34 weeks , you can determine the closure Botallo duct , a major vessel fetal arterial blood circulation of the baby . Finally , is contraindicated during breastfeeding because, passed through breast milk , it can cause a rare, but very dangerous and potentially lethal : Reye syndrome .
The other drugs that belong to the family of aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs , called NSAIDS , are contraindicated in pregnancy. This applies, for example, ibuprofen , whose dangerous during pregnancy was suspected for some time, and has been confirmed by recent studies. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs taken in the first weeks of pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous abortion , but has not yet been possible to accurately quantify this increase.

Cough and stuffy nose

The cough syrups are present in a wide variety on the shelves of pharmacies. However, in most cases , it is of low efficiency products that go just beyond the placebo effect. In this aspect , the fact that we do not have sufficient data on its safety during pregnancy is added , so its use is discouraged. Decongestant nose sprays contain an active vasoconstrictor that consumed in large quantities, acts on the blood vessels of the placenta , causing pressure to the mother and threatening fetal wellbeing . For this reason, should be used with extreme caution and for very short periods of time. For prudence, would be preferable to refrain from its use in pregnancy. Meanwhile , free via the nasal washes and decongestants based saline or desalinated seawater containing no active ingredients, but whose function is to clean and moisturize the nasal mucous membranes .