Doctors are understandably wary of prescribing drugs to pregnant women to treat morning sickness following the nightmare of Thalidomide in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, which caused severe birth defects in babies born to mothers who took the drug early in their pregnancies. Now, a  research study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine has examined the drug metoclopramide, known by the trade names Maxeran and Reglan, and showed that the drug is safe to use in pregnant women who experience the common and dreaded morning sickness, which plagues up to 80% of women in their first trimester of pregnancy. 

The study, which examined almost 5,000 Israeli women in a large HMO in Israel, found that there were no statistically significant differences in the babies born to mothers who were given the drug metoclopramide during their pregnancy:

Major birth defects were found in 5.3% of babies whose mothers took the drug, as opposed to 4.9% in babies whose mother did not take the drug

8.5% of the babies exposed to the drug had low birth weight compared to 8.3% of the babies not exposed

6.3% of babies exposed to metoclopramide were delivered early, as compared to 5.9% in those babies whose mothers were not treated with the drug

Metoclopramide works by increasing the clearance time of the stomach, or the amount of time it takes for food to leave the stomach and enter the intestines. It also works in the brain, in the center that is responsible for controlling vomiting. Although  metoclopramide is widely used in the United States for nausea and vomiting from causes other than pregnancy, the drug is used in pregnant women only if absolutely necessary. Although  this study is reassuring regarding the safety of the drug in pregnancy, studies in the US should be done to support these findings.

Related Links:

Say Goodbye to Morning Sickness from Pregnancy Health Guru

Managing Morning Sickness from Web MD

Guidance on Treatment of Morning Sickness During Pregnancy from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists