Drugs in pregnancy and lactation, pediatric and geriatric pharmacology
Pharmacology · MBBS
Fetal development
Interactive 3DTravel week by week from fertilized egg to fetus.
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Study notes
A pregnant woman with hypertension is switched from enalapril to methyldopa. ACE inhibitors are teratogenic (fetal kidney damage) — pregnancy hypertension uses methyldopa, nifedipine, or labetalol instead. The principle: every drug in pregnancy is a two-patient decision — benefit must clearly outweigh fetal risk; FDA's old A/B/C/D/X is replaced by narrative labeling, but the caution stands. Preconception counseling (folic acid, stopping valproate/isotretinoin) prevents the preventable.
Related topics
- General pharmacology: pharmacokinetics — absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
- General pharmacology: pharmacodynamics — receptors, dose-response, drug interactions
- General pharmacology: adverse drug reactions, pharmacovigilance
- Autonomic drugs: cholinergic agonists and antagonists
- Autonomic drugs: adrenergic agonists and antagonists
- Cardiovascular drugs: antihypertensives, antianginal drugs