Pregnancy, oral contraceptives

Question: I do not know that I’m pregnant, while I have eaten contraceptive pills continuously for a while. Will it have an impact on the baby or not?

Answer: Studies on effects of oral contraceptives on the fetus when mothers received the drug during pregnancy have been different results.

The data obtained from studies in 1990, found that oral contraceptives do not increase the risk of abnormalities in the baby. However, in 2010 other studies have found that if the mother gets oral contraceptives during the first 3 months of pregnancy, this may be associated with an increased risk of occurrence of abdominal wall of infant that does not close completely (gastroschisis) and associated with the left ventricle of the infant’s heart that is severely underdeveloped (hypoplastic left heart syndrome).

So when you know that you are pregnant, you should immediately stop taking contraceptive.

References:

1. Bracken MB. Oral contraception and congenital malformations in offspring: a review and meta-analysis of the prospective studies. Obstet Gynecol 1990; 76: 552-7.

2. Waller DK, Gallaway MS, Taylor LG, Ramadhani TA, Canfield MA, Scheuerle A, et al. Use of oral contraceptives in pregnancy and major structural birth defects in offspring. Epidemiology 2010; 21: 232-9.