Who we help - Pregnant mothers
Maternal exposure to a toxin or an overdose can pose a serious risk to the baby's development. Through the UK Teratology Information Service (UKTIS), NPIS provides advice and support to professional colleagues on drug and chemical exposure during pregnancy. It handles more than 41,000 enquiries a year of this nature, both on and offline.
The most frequent enquiry to UKTIS in 2009/10 concerned zanamivir, an antiviral used in the treatment of H1N1 influenza (swine flu) in pregnancy. As well as providing advice on swine flu infection and treatment in pregnancy during the 2009 pandemic, UKTIS also assisted by collecting epidemiological data.
In 2010/11, seven of the top ten most frequent enquiries to the service were regarding antidepressants, with the three most common being the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - citalopram, sertraline and fluoxetine. The prevalence of antidepressant-related enquiries reflects both their high level of use and recent publications concerning their safety during pregnancy.
Information from the NPIS Annual Report 2010/11
| Who we help | Patient and exposure profiles | Information, advice and support | Young people and children | Older people | Pregnant mothers |