Nicotine Patch and Pregnancy. Is It Safe for Women to Use the Nicotine Patch During Pregnancy? The nicotine patch (Nicoderm® CQ®) is a nonprescription medication used to help people stop smoking. It helps reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including nicotine craving.
As a pregnancy Category D medicine, the nicotine patch may be harmful to an unborn child. What Is Pregnancy Category D? The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy.
Pregnancy Category D is a classification given to medicines that have been shown to present a risk to the fetus in studies of pregnant women but may still offer benefits that outweigh the risks the drug presents. A pregnancy Category D medicine may still be given to a pregnant woman if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the woman outweigh the possible risks to her unborn child. When given to pregnant mice at high doses, nicotine (the active ingredient of the nicotine patch) increased the risk of bone problems in the offspring. In addition, high doses of nicotine caused fetal breathing problems when given to pregnant sheep and monkeys, as well as low blood pressure in the monkey offspring.
The negative consequences of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy are well established. Women who smoke while pregnant have a greater risk for miscarriage, preterm delivery, and having a baby with low birth weight.
Smoking after giving birth has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The nicotine patch has not been studied in pregnant women; however, using the nicotine patch is considered safer than smoking during pregnancy. It is generally recommended that women first try to quit smoking without using a nicotine replacement medicine.
Quitting smoking during pregnancy: Compare your options. In this. And you can boost your chances of success by trying nicotine replacement or one of the other.
Realistically, this may be very difficult to do. If you are finding it hard to quit smoking during pregnancy, your healthcare provider may recommend a medication like the nicotine patch to help you stop.
Nicotine Use During Pregnancy Drugs. Nicotine is also known as: Commit, Habitrol, Leader Nicotine Polacrilex, Nicoderm CQ, Nicorelief, Nicorette, Nicorette DS, Nicotrol Inhaler, Nicotrol NS, Nicotrol TD, Pro. Step. Nicotine Pregnancy Warnings. Nicotine replacement products have been assigned to pregnancy category C (nicotine gum) and category D (transdermal patches, inhalers, and spray nicotine products) by the FDA.
Cigarette smoking is known to cause spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and increased perinatal mortality, probably due to nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine has been shown to cause adverse fetal outcome in animals when administered in high doses.
The use of nicotine replacement products is only recommended for use during pregnancy when the benefit outweighs risk, noting the possibility the patient may continue to smoke while using a replacement product. According to the manufacturers of Nicorette gum, one to two pieces of 2- or 4- mg gum had less ability than one to two cigarettes to increase fetal blood flow and heart rate and decrease uterine blood flow and fetal breathing movements. One study of 2. 9 pregnant women showed the short- term use of nicotine gum delivered less nicotine than usual cigarette smoking. The manufacturers of Nicoderm transdermal patch state that spontaneous abortion has been reported during use of a nicotine patch. See references. Nicotine Breastfeeding Warnings.
Nicotine is excreted into breast milk with a milk to plasma ratio of 2. Nicotine and cotinine have been detected in the serum and urine of nursing infants. The effects in the nursing infant are unknown. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering nicotine to nursing women. See references. References for pregnancy information"Product Information. Nicorette (nicotine)." Smith. Kline Beecham, Philadelphia, PA.
“Mothers using nicotine gum to avoid smoking in pregnancy ‘put unborn babies at risk’,” warned the Daily Mail. It said that the nicotine is absorbed by the. The nicotine patch has not been studied in pregnant women; however, using the nicotine patch is considered safer than smoking during pregnancy. Advice and warnings for the use of Nicotine during pregnancy. FDA Pregnancy Category D - Positive evidence of risk. Lots of studies have shown that cigarette smoke isn't good for a fetus. So many pregnant women use nicotine gum or skin patches or inhalers to help them.
Wright LN, Thorp JM, Kuller JA, Shrewsbury RP, Ananth C, Hartmann K "Transdermal nicotine replacement in pregnancy: Maternal pharmacokinetics and fetal effects." Am J Obstet Gynecol 1. Product Information. Habitrol (nicotine)." Basel Pharmaceuticals, Summit, NJ.
Hackman R, Kapur B, Koren G "Use of the nicotine patch by pregnant women." N Engl J Med 3. Oncken CA, Hatsukami DK, Lupo VR, Lando HA, Gibeau LM, Hansen RJ "Effects of short- term use of nicotine gum in pregnant smokers." Clin Pharmacol Ther 5.
References for breastfeeding information"Product Information. Nicorette (nicotine)." Smith. Kline Beecham, Philadelphia, PA. Product Information. Habitrol (nicotine)." Basel Pharmaceuticals, Summit, NJ. Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Wolters Kluwer Health and Drugs. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof.
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