Pregnancy categories of drugs

1. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF
DRUGS
By
Jorge De Avila
2013

2. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
• Pregnancy Category A :
• Controlled studies in
pregnant women fail to
detect risk to the fetus
in the first trimester
and no evidence of risk
in later trimesters. The
possibility of harm to
the fetus appears
remote by using the
drugs of pregnancy
category A.

3. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
• Pregnancy Category B :
• Presumed safety on the
basis of animal studies,
with no controlled study
in pregnant women, or
animal studies have
shown an adverse effect
which was not confirmed
in controlled studies in
women in the first
trimester and there is no
evidence of risk to the
fetus in later trimesters.

4. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
• Pregnancy Category C :
• Studies in women and
animals are not available
or studies in animals have
shown adverse effects on
the fetus and there is no
controlled study in
women. Drugs should be
given in pregnancy only if
the potential benefits
justify the potential risk
to the fetus.

5. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
• Pregnancy Category D :
• There is positive
evidence of risk to the
human fetus (unsafe),
however in a life-
threatening illness the
potential risk may be
justified if there are no
other alternatives.

6. PREGNANCY CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
• Pregnancy Category X :
• Highly unsafe: risk of
use outweighs any
potential benefit. Drugs
in this category are
contraindicated in
pregnant women or in a
woman who may
become pregnant.
• http://depts.washington.edu/druginfo/Formulary/Pregnancy.pd
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