Drugs use during pregnancy at Medani Maternity Hospital, Sudan

ABSTRACT

There is a limited knowledge on use of drugs during pregnancy including beneficial and possible adverse effects of drugs on both the mother and the fetus. To investigate epidemiology of use of drugs during pregnancy. A cross sectional hospital based study at Medani Hospital during the period December 2011. After signing an informed consent, a pre-tested questionnaire was used to gather data from each parturient mother on her age, parity, level of education, antenatal care visits and use of drug during the index pregnancy. The vast majority [334; 98.2%] of the interviewed women used drugs during the index pregnancy. Around ten percent [35; 10.5%] of these women used the drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. The majority [266; 78.2%] used the drugs in third trimester and the rest used it in the second trimester. The most common drugs used were antibiotics, tonics, antimalarials and antiemetic. There is a very high rate of drug use in this setting. Antibiotics and antimalarials drugs were the most used drugs