Exposure to alcohol-containing medications during pregnancy

Facundo Garcia-Bournissen, Yaron Finkelstein, Massoud Rezvani, Gideon Koren

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

QUESTION: A pregnant patient consulted her physician after discovering that a diphenhydramine preparation (Benadryl elixir) she used for allergy symptoms during the first trimester of her pregnancy contained 15% alcohol. Should she be concerned about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in her baby? ANSWER: Most ethanol-containing medical preparations are safe during pregnancy. Adult doses of some elixirs with high ethanol concentrations might produce blood levels similar to those achieved by drinking 1 alcoholic beverage. Caution is advisable when prescribing ethanol-containing elixirs to pregnant women, as is informing them about the alcohol content.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1067-1068
Number of pages2
JournalCanadian Family Physician
Volume52
Issue number9 SEPT.
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes

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