Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Biaka University Institute of Buea-Cameroon, PO BOX 77, Buea, Cameroon.
Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor i/c Research/Cooperation/Quality, Biaka Universit Institute of Buea, PO Box 77-SWR, Buea, Cameroon.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 Nov 20;18(1):450. doi: 10.1186/s12884-018-2081-x.
There is a paucity of epidemiological data on medication use in pregnancy in Cameroon.
Between March and August 2015, 795 pregnant women attending 8 urban and 12 rural hospitals in Cameroon for antenatal (ANC) or other care were interviewed on first trimester medication use using structured questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the association of 18 sociodemographic factors with medication use.
A total of 582 (73.2%) women took at least one orthodox (Western) medication during the first trimester, 543 (68.3%) women a non-pregnancy related orthodox medication, and 336 (42.3%)women a pregnancy related orthodox medication. 44% of the women took anti-infectives including antimalarials (33.6%) and antibiotics (20.8%).The other most common medications were analgesics (48.8%) and antianaemias (38.6%). Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy, was the most commonly used antimalarial(13% of women).0.2% of women reported antiretroviral use. Almost 80% of all orthodox medications consumed by women were purchased from the hospital. 12.8% of the women self-prescribed. Health unit and early gestational age at ANC booking were consistent determinants of prescribing of non-pregnancy related, pregnancy related and anti-infective medications. Illness and opinion on the safety of orthodox medications were determinants of the use of non-pregnancy related medications and anti-infectives. Age and parity were associated only with non-pregnancy related medications.
This study has confirmed the observations of studies across Africa indicating the increasing use of medications during pregnancy. This is an indication that access to medicine is improving and more emphasis now must be placed on medication safety systems targeting pregnant women, especially during the first trimester when the risk of teratogenicity is highest.
喀麦隆缺乏关于妊娠期间用药的流行病学数据。
2015 年 3 月至 8 月，795 名在喀麦隆 8 个城市和 12 个农村医院接受产前检查（ANC）或其他护理的孕妇接受了关于妊娠早期用药情况的结构化问卷调查。采用多变量逻辑回归分析 18 项社会人口学因素与用药的关系。
共有 582 名（73.2%）孕妇在妊娠早期至少服用了一种正规（西医）药物，543 名（68.3%）孕妇服用了非妊娠相关的正规药物，336 名（42.3%）孕妇服用了妊娠相关的正规药物。44%的孕妇服用了抗感染药物，包括抗疟药（33.6%）和抗生素（20.8%）。其他最常见的药物是镇痛药（48.8%）和抗贫血药（38.6%）。磺胺多辛/乙胺嘧啶，妊娠早期禁用，是最常用的抗疟药（13%的孕妇）。0.2%的孕妇报告使用抗逆转录病毒药物。孕妇服用的几乎 80%的正规药物都是从医院购买的。12.8%的孕妇自行开处方。卫生单位和 ANC 早期预约是开具非妊娠相关药物、妊娠相关药物和抗感染药物的一致决定因素。疾病和对正规药物安全性的看法是决定使用非妊娠相关药物和抗感染药物的决定因素。年龄和产次仅与非妊娠相关药物有关。
本研究证实了非洲各地研究的观察结果，表明妊娠期间用药的增加。这表明获得药物的机会在改善，现在必须更加重视针对孕妇的药物安全系统，特别是在致畸风险最高的妊娠早期。
