Table 2.
Prevalence of Medication Classes Used During Pregnancy
| Medication Class | Women taking medication | Women taking medication during pregnancy† | Women taking medication in the first trimester of pregnancy† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analgesics | 2470 (25.9) | 2265 (23.7) | 1485 (15.6) |
| Antibiotics | 2701 (28.3) | 2439 (25.5) | 1199 (12.6) |
| Antifungals | 814 (8.5) | 749 (7.8) | 304 (3.2) |
| Antivirals | 461 (4.8) | 428 (4.5) | 133 (1.4) |
| Anticoagulants | 79 (0.8) | 72 (0.8) | 49 (0.5) |
| Antipsychotics | 55 (0.6) | 44 (0.5) | 38 (0.4) |
| Antidepressants | 673 (7.1) | 579 (6.1) | 502 (5.3) |
| Anticonvulsants | 373 (3.9) | 301 (3.2) | 238 (2.5) |
| Tocolytics | 151 (1.6) | 147 (1.5) | 4 (0.0) |
| Antihypertensives | 221 (2.3) | 207 (2.2) | 124 (1.3) |
| Diuretics | 37 (0.4) | 23 (0.2) | 16 (0.2) |
| GI & Anti-emetic agents | 3402 (35.6) | 3279 (34.3) | 1866 (19.5) |
| Chemotherapeutics | 9 (0.1) | 4 (0.0) | 4 (0.0) |
| Steroids (systemic) | 419 (4.4) | 380 (4.0) | 103 (1.1) |
| Hormonal contraceptives | 347 (3.6) | 90 (0.9) | 90 (0.9) |
| Progesterone | 377 (3.9) | 319 (3.3) | 242 (2.5) |
| Thyroid Agents | 476 (5.0) | 454 (4.8) | 431 (4.5) |
| Asthma Medications | 941 (9.9) | 866 (9.1) | 721 (7.6) |
| URI Agents | 1675 (17.5) | 1567 (16.4) | 889 (9.3) |
| Other Mental Health Agents | 26 (0.3) | 22 (0.2) | 13 (0.1) |
| Anti-diabetic medications | 337 (3.5) | 315 (3.3) | 206 (2.2) |
| Other Medication | 1052 (11.0) | 797 (8.3) | 464 (4.9) |
| Vitamins | 9433 (98.8) | 9165 (96.0) | 9009 (94.4) |
| Overall | 9479 (99.3) | 9272 (97.1) | 9139 (95.7) |
Data are presented as n (%)
*
Data presented as the count of the number of women who had indicated taking at least one medication in that overall class. GI= gastrointestinal, URI= upper respiratory infection
†
All women included in taking prescription and other medications in the first trimester also by definition are included in the column as taking medications at any time in pregnancy. The “Women taking medication” includes women who took the medication during pregnancy or during the 3 months before pregnancy.