Alhajri Namshah A, Alshathri Aljohara H, Aldharman Sarah S, Alshathri Almaha H, Abukhlaled Jana K, Alabdullah Durrah W, Aleban Sarah A
Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, SAU.
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2022 Dec 26;14(12):e32953. doi: 10.7759/cureus.32953. eCollection 2022 Dec.
Background Pregnancy is a unique physiological condition in which medication intake offers a challenge and a worry due to changed drug pharmacokinetics and drugs potentially crossing the placenta, such as beta blockers and benzodiazepines. As a result, medication safety during pregnancy has gained global interest, attracting attention from doctors and pregnant women, little of which has been documented regarding the Saudi population. Therefore, this study aimed to assess medication use and perceptions of medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding among women in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study is a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. Data was collected through an online self-administered questionnaire from different regions of Saudi Arabia. Data was then entered and analyzed using SPSS 24.0 version (IBM Inc., Chicago, USA) statistical software. Results A total of 1831 participants were included in the current study. About 835 (45.6%) of the participants were within the age group of 26-35 years old. A total of 602 (32.9%) were using medications on a daily basis or several times a week during pregnancy or breastfeeding. About 1476 (80.6%) participants agreed on medication use during pregnancy. About 66.4% of women would be worried about fetal malformations if they were supposed to take medications during pregnancy. About 940 (51.3%) women think that medication use during early pregnancy is harmful, and 500 (27.3%) think that medication use during breastfeeding trimesters is harmful. Regarding pregnant women's perception of herbal medicines, about (65.4%) of those with low educational levels think that herbal medicines are harmful in early pregnancy. Most participants (63%) within the age group of ≥36 years old think that medications and herbal medicines are harmful in early pregnancy. The vast majority (91%) of the participants would ask the physician working on antenatal care if they had concerns about using certain medications during pregnancy. Conclusion The average use of medication and herbal medicines among pregnant women was noted, although many women had negative beliefs about taking certain medications. Continued effort is essential to support and encourage women to seek out reliable information sources regarding medication use during pregnancy. In addition, healthcare practitioners should be mindful of women's attitudes when counseling them to take medication during pregnancy.
背景 怀孕是一种独特的生理状态，由于药物的药代动力学发生变化以及药物可能穿过胎盘（如β受体阻滞剂和苯二氮䓬类药物），药物摄入带来了挑战和担忧。因此，孕期用药安全已引起全球关注，吸引了医生和孕妇的注意，但关于沙特人群的相关记录却很少。因此，本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯女性在怀孕和哺乳期间的用药情况及对用药的认知。方法 本研究是一项基于问卷的横断面研究。通过在线自填问卷从沙特阿拉伯不同地区收集数据。然后使用SPSS 24.0版本（美国伊利诺伊州芝加哥市IBM公司）统计软件录入和分析数据。结果 本研究共纳入1831名参与者。约835名（45.6%）参与者年龄在26 - 35岁之间。共有602名（32.9%）在怀孕或哺乳期间每天或每周数次使用药物。约1476名（80.6%）参与者同意在孕期用药。约66.4%的女性如果在孕期需要用药会担心胎儿畸形。约940名（51.3%）女性认为孕早期用药有害，500名（27.3%）认为哺乳期用药有害。关于孕妇对草药的认知，约65.4%文化程度低的孕妇认为孕早期草药有害。年龄≥36岁组的大多数参与者（63%）认为孕早期药物和草药都有害。绝大多数（91%）参与者如果对孕期使用某些药物有疑虑会咨询产前护理医生。结论 注意到孕妇使用药物和草药的平均情况，尽管许多女性对服用某些药物有负面看法。持续努力支持和鼓励女性寻找关于孕期用药的可靠信息来源至关重要。此外，医护人员在为孕期女性提供用药咨询时应留意她们的态度。
