Over-the-counter pain relievers and pregnancy

Over-the-counter pain relievers and pregnancy

The New Zealand Self-Medication Industry (NZSMI) today reminded consumers that analgesics, like all other medicines, should only be used during pregnancy on the advice of a healthcare professional.

 MI executive director, Tim Roper, was responding to media reporting of a recently published study[1] which examined the use of pain relievers by Danish and Finnish pregnant women. The study examined the questionnaire responses of over 2000 pregnant women and found an association between analgesic use during pregnancy and cryptorchidism (or un-descended testicles) among their baby boys.

Mr Roper said that although there were some limitations to the study (for example the association was found in the Danish group but not the Finnish group), it was nevertheless a timely reminder to all pregnant women to discuss use of any medicine during pregnancy with their doctor.

Mr Roper said that analgesics continue to play an important role in short term pain relief for the majority of consumers.

Mr Roper said that in New Zealand analgesics such as aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol, are available without a prescription at low doses for short-term use in self-limiting conditions. They are safe and effective for the temporary relief of pain and inflammation.

All OTC medicines must undergo a rigorous evaluation process before they are made available for use in New Zealand and Medsafe imposes strict labelling requirements to ensure that consumers are able to use them correctly. As a result, labels on aspirin and ibuprofen contain specific statements regarding their use during pregnancy (“not to be used during the first 6 months of pregnancy unless advised by a doctor” and “not to be used at all during the last 3 months of pregnancy”).

“It is important to read labels carefully, to strictly follow all the directions and, if the pain or other symptoms persist, to consult a doctor or pharmacist,” Mr Roper said.

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