Is Reglan Use During Pregnancy Safe?
By Michele Wallace
Published on October 19, 2009
Reglan, generically known as metoclopramide, is a drug that acts on muscles within the wall of the upper intestinal tract causing them to contract and to move food and fluid along. The drug is used to treat a weak stomach by causing the muscles to contract more normally. In many cases, pregnant women that experience extreme nausea are prescribed this medication.
A study conducted by Berkovitch M, Mazzota P, Greenberg, R. et al. and published in the American Journal of Perinatology looked at the effects of Reglan use during pregnancy and whether the drug posed dangerous risks to the pregnancy. The study included 175 pregnant women who had taken Reglan. The researchers found that, compared with women who had not taken Reglan, the women who took the drug were three times more likely to go into labor early; 13 women who took the drug went into labor before they had passed 37 weeks of pregnancy, compared with four women in the group who did not take the drug.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a drug grading system that reflects what is known medically. The rankings system spans from A, where medical studies show no evidence for danger to the fetus or mother, to B, C, D, and X, where medical evidence indicates that the risk to the fetus outweighs any benefit to the mother. Reglan is ranked B. Always consult your physician before taking any drug during or when planning pregnancy.
Reglan use has also been associated with an increased risk of developing tardive dyskinesia and other muscle disorders when taken by children and when used for long-term treatment in adults.
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