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Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation
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Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Women's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 8840

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Karel Allegaert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
2. Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
3. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Interests: perinatal pharmacology; neonatal clinical pharmacology; PBPK in special populations; newborn; infant; lactation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michael Ceulemans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
2. Teratology Information Service, Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, 5237 MH Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
Interests: perinatal pharmacoepidemiology; drug safety; pharmacotherapy; drug information; pharmaceutical care; teratology; breastfeeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pharmacotherapy is a very powerful tool to improve the medical outcome for pregnant women and their newborns. As little as 5% of available drugs have been properly monitored, tested, and labeled for use in pregnancy and lactation. Pregnant or lactating women are usually excluded from clinical trials, while product development for diseases specific to pregnancy or perinatal indications is very limited. However, in real life, pregnant women get ill, and ill women get pregnant. Pregnant or lactating women and their caregivers are left in the dark about risks they cannot oversee, and they need to take responsibility for this uncertainty. 

This Special Issue on perinatal clinical pharmacology aims to focus on various methods that can be applied and tailored to pregnancy and lactation, including but not limited to pharmacokinetic modeling, pharmaco-epidemiology, in vitro models (such as placental transfer), lactation and pharmacovigilance. Papers on pharmacotherapy on diseases related to pregnancy (preterm labor, pre-eclampsia, fetal anomalies, postpartum hemorrhage) and diseases that occur during pregnancy (depression, oncological diseases, peri-operative care, infectious diseases) are very welcome. Papers on pharmacovigilance or policy strategies specific to pregnancy or lactation are hereby also very welcome.

Prof. Dr. Karel Allegaert
Dr. Michael Ceulemans
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pharmacovigilance
  • drug safety
  • drug information
  • pharmaco-epidemiology
  • pharmacokinetics
  • lactation
  • childbirth
  • pregnancy
  • placenta
  • teratology

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1005 KiB  
Article
Mixing Meds and Milk: Evaluation of a Performance Gap Intervention for Provider Education in Breastfeeding and Maternal Medication Use
by Kaci Bohn, Alejandra Fernandez, Stephanie Stroever, Dara O’Neil, Joan Enderle and Kaytlin Krutsch
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(19), 6850; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196850 - 28 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1081
Abstract
The need for maternal medications is a known barrier to breastfeeding. Though most medications are compatible with lactation, healthcare providers use abundant caution, often viewing medications and breastfeeding as mutually exclusive. A dual intervention of an educational webinar and access to a mobile [...] Read more.
The need for maternal medications is a known barrier to breastfeeding. Though most medications are compatible with lactation, healthcare providers use abundant caution, often viewing medications and breastfeeding as mutually exclusive. A dual intervention of an educational webinar and access to a mobile app for lactation pharmacology was used to enhance provider familiarity, confidence, and access to knowledge in medication use during breastfeeding. Surveys were administered before, one week after, and three months after the webinar to evaluate performance gap improvement. Usage data of the mobile app was collected over twelve months to monitor topic engagement. Results suggested the interventions temporarily increased provider confidence in maternal medication use during lactation; however, the increase was not sustained at three months. Even with one-time training and lactation-specific mobile app access, simply providing an informational resource is insufficient to support evidence-informed care for lactating patients. Longitudinal training on evidence-based medication safety is critical to care for the lactating dyad. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation)
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13 pages, 362 KiB  
Article
Health Care Providers’ Perspective and Knowledge about Peri-Surgical Medication and Practices in Breastfeeding Women
by Lena De Hondt, Santina Lisa Gorsen, Patrick Verburgh, Kristien De Paepe, Joke Muyldermans and Eline Tommelein
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043379 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1335
Abstract
Many guidelines offer recommendations to support the continuation of breastfeeding and the choice of medication when a mother undergoes a surgical procedure. The aim of this study is to investigate health care providers’ (HCPs) current practices and knowledge about peri-surgical medication and practices [...] Read more.
Many guidelines offer recommendations to support the continuation of breastfeeding and the choice of medication when a mother undergoes a surgical procedure. The aim of this study is to investigate health care providers’ (HCPs) current practices and knowledge about peri-surgical medication and practices in breastfeeding women. We performed a cross-sectional study in Flanders (Belgium) assessing demographics, beliefs about breastfeeding and its health benefits, current practices concerning breastfeeding women undergoing (surgical) procedures and specific knowledge about the use of medication during breastfeeding. Two hundred and ninety-one (291) participants completed the online questionnaire. Many participants considered their knowledge about breastfeeding to be good, and almost all participants acknowledged the superiority of breastfeeding and the importance of its continuation. Very few participants were, however, familiar with the available protocols concerning surgical procedures in breastfeeding women. Less than half of the participants routinely advised the recommended practices to protect breastfeeding. For most of the peri-surgical medication, participants needed to look-up information about the compatibility with breastfeeding. We conclude that there is a knowledge gap and recommend the development of a comprehensive guideline as well as implementation of this information in basic and post-academic training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation)

Review

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57 pages, 756 KiB  
Review
Consensus Panel Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Pregnant Women with Depressive Disorders
by Georgios Eleftheriou, Riccardo Zandonella Callegher, Raffaella Butera, Marco De Santis, Anna Franca Cavaliere, Sarah Vecchio, Alessandra Pistelli, Giovanna Mangili, Emi Bondi, Lorenzo Somaini, Mariapina Gallo, Matteo Balestrieri and Umberto Albert
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(16), 6565; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20166565 - 11 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2601
Abstract
Introduction: The initiative of a consensus on the topic of antidepressant and anxiolytic drug use in pregnancy is developing in an area of clinical uncertainty. Although many studies have been published in recent years, there is still a paucity of authoritative evidence-based indications [...] Read more.
Introduction: The initiative of a consensus on the topic of antidepressant and anxiolytic drug use in pregnancy is developing in an area of clinical uncertainty. Although many studies have been published in recent years, there is still a paucity of authoritative evidence-based indications useful for guiding the prescription of these drugs during pregnancy, and the data from the literature are complex and require expert judgment to draw clear conclusions. Methods: For the elaboration of the consensus, we have involved the scientific societies of the sector, namely, the Italian Society of Toxicology, the Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Italian Society of Psychiatry, the Italian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Italian Society of Drug Addiction and the Italian Society of Addiction Pathology. An interdisciplinary team of experts from different medical specialties (toxicologists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists, gynecologists, neonatologists) was first established to identify the needs underlying the consensus. The team, in its definitive structure, includes all the representatives of the aforementioned scientific societies; the task of the team was the evaluation of the most accredited international literature as well as using the methodology of the “Nominal Group Technique” with the help of a systematic review of the literature and with various discussion meetings, to arrive at the drafting and final approval of the document. Results: The following five areas of investigation were identified: (1) The importance of management of anxiety and depressive disorders in pregnancy, identifying the risks associated with untreated maternal depression in pregnancy. (2) The assessment of the overall risk of malformations with the antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs used in pregnancy. (3) The evaluation of neonatal adaptation disorders in the offspring of pregnant antidepressant/anxiolytic-treated women. (4) The long-term outcome of infants’ cognitive development or behavior after in utero exposure to antidepressant/anxiolytic medicines. (5) The evaluation of pharmacological treatment of opioid-abusing pregnant women with depressive disorders. Conclusions: Considering the state of the art, it is therefore necessary in the first instance to frame the issue of pharmacological choices in pregnant women who need treatment with antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs on the basis of data currently available in the literature. Particular attention must be paid to the evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio, understood both in terms of therapeutic benefit with respect to the potential risks of the treatment on the pregnancy and on the fetal outcome, and of the comparative risk between the treatment and the absence of treatment; in the choice prescription, the specialist needs to be aware of both the potential risks of pharmacological treatment and the equally important risks of an untreated or undertreated disorder. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation)

Other

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9 pages, 310 KiB  
Brief Report
The Dutch Pregnancy Drug Register: Suitable to Study Paternal Drug Exposures?
by Annerose E. van der Mijle, Petra J. Woestenberg, Leanne J. Kosse and Eugène P. van Puijenbroek
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(23), 7107; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20237107 - 24 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1502
Abstract
Paternal medication use around the time of conception is common, but information about its effects on pregnancy outcome and the health of the child is generally limited. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of studying paternal exposure in the [...] Read more.
Paternal medication use around the time of conception is common, but information about its effects on pregnancy outcome and the health of the child is generally limited. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of studying paternal exposure in the Dutch Pregnancy Drug Register by using immunosuppressants as a proof of concept. In 113 of 15,959 pregnancies, long-term paternal immunosuppressant use was reported 3 months before conception. In total, 134 immunosuppressants were used. Pregnancy outcome was known for 54 cases and was in accordance with previous findings. Two spontaneous abortions, two premature births, six small for gestational age babies, and two major congenital malformations were reported. Time to pregnancy (TTP) was known for 9548 pregnancies, including 89 with paternal immunosuppressant use. TTP analysis did not show a difference in pregnancies with paternal immunosuppressant use compared to the control group. Moreover, the number of fertility treatments in the paternal immunosuppressant group was similar to the control group. In our opinion, it is feasible to use the Dutch Pregnancy Drug Register to study the effects of paternal exposure on pregnancy outcome. However, to study the potential effects on fertility, more information is needed, particularly since the beginning of pregnancy attempts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation)
7 pages, 308 KiB  
Case Report
Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Treatment during Pregnancy: A Case Series
by Georgios Eleftheriou, Raffaella Butera, Anna Sangiovanni, Claudia Palumbo and Emi Bondi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3080; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043080 - 09 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1443
Abstract
Introduction: Data from the literature show that prolonged-release injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) ensure constant blood drug levels better patient compliance and offer a simpler treatment regimen for both patients and caregivers. This observational–descriptive study aims to detect the possible complications found in newborns of [...] Read more.
Introduction: Data from the literature show that prolonged-release injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) ensure constant blood drug levels better patient compliance and offer a simpler treatment regimen for both patients and caregivers. This observational–descriptive study aims to detect the possible complications found in newborns of women with bipolar or psychotic disorders and LAI therapy during pregnancy. Methods: This study involved women with psychotic disorders during pregnancy who contacted the Teratology Information Center of Bergamo, Italy between 2016 and 2021 to receive counseling on the possible risks of exposure to LAI therapy. The follow-up procedure was carried out by telephone interview or direct contact with the patient and/or her physician. Results: In this study, LAI treatment in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of malformations. All but one of the children in the sample were born healthy and the mothers maintained psychopathological compensation during pregnancy. Conclusions: This study showed that, despite the small size of the sample under examination, the administration of LAIs do not compromise the normal intrauterine development of the unborn child and there were no evident major malformations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Lactation)
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