| Women who take over-the-counter
pain medications that contain aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen when pregnant
may be putting their unborn babies at risk for developing a potentially
life-threatening condition.
These drugs, known collectively as NSAIDs, are believed
to reduce or inhibit substances critical to maintaining and regulating
pressures in the lungs and can cause persistent pulmonary hypertension
of the newborn (PPHN).
Babies who suffer from PPHN are more likely to have
a range of problems after birth and often must be placed on a respirator
to help them breathe.
Several previous studies
have also shown a link between NSAIDs taken during pregnancy and the development
of PPHN in newborns.
Researchers in this study conclude that pregnant women
should be made better aware of the dangers associated with taking over-the-counter
drugs containing NSAIDs.
Pediatrics
Vol. 107 No. 3 March 2001, pp. 519-523
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