Heartburn and pregnancy go together, however is Omeprazole a safe remedy while you’re anticipating? We consulted with physicians to get the information on Omeprazole (Prilosec) and pregnancy.
Is Omeprazole Safe During Pregnancy?
Omeprazole has been appointed to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Omeprazole has been used during labor and delivery to prevent Mendelson’s syndrome. Omeprazole ought to only be given during pregnancy when advantage surpasses risk.
Some animal research studies have revealed evidence of embryolethality, embryo/fetal toxicity, and postnatal developmental toxicity. Animal research studies with esomeprazole (an S-isomer of omeprazole) exposed changes in bone morphology in offspring of rats dosed through the majority of the pregnancy and lactation with doses equivalent to or greater than roughly 33.6 times an oral human dose of 40 mg. There are no appropriate and well-controlled research studies in human pregnancy. Offered epidemiologic data cannot demonstrate an increased risk of significant congenital malformations or other unfavorable pregnancy results with use of omeprazole in the first trimester.
A number of studies have reported no short-term negative results in babies whose mothers where treated with a single dosage of oral or intravenous omeprazole as premedication for cesarean area under general anesthesia. A professional review of published information of omeprazole use during pregnancy by the Teratogen Information System concluded that therapeutic doses during pregnancy will not likely posture a substantial teratogenic risk. Information pertaining to making use of omeprazole during pregnancy are restricted. In one study, omeprazole 80 mg was administered orally one time to avoid Mendelson’s syndrome in 20 women with uncomplicated pregnancies of a minimum of 36 weeks period (mean, 38.3 weeks) needing scheduled Cesarean area. Cesarean section was done roughly 13 to 16 hours after the dose. Omeprazole was undetected (< 20 nmol/L) in umbilical vein samples from 16/20 babies. Omeprazole was undetectable in umbilical artery samples from 10/17 infants. There were no evident negative effects in the neonates.
Alternatives to Omeprazole During Pregnancy
Due to the fact that Omeprazole (Prilosec) has a category C score, physicians generally advise alternative medications for pregnant women. Safe options for treating pregnancy heartburn including over-the-counter Tums or Mylanta, and prescription medications including H2 blockers (Tagamet, Zantac and Pepcid) and other proton pump inhibitors (like Prevacid, AcipHex and Nexium), which have a category B score, which indicates that they’re routinely and securely used during pregnancy.
Omeprazole Breastfeeding Warnings
Omeprazole concentrations have been measured in human milk. The peak concentration in breast milk was less than 7% of the peak serum concentration or 0.004 mg of omeprazole in 200 mL of milk, according to iytmed.com. Given that omeprazole is excreted in the breast milk, and since of a potential for serious negative reactions in nursing infants and the possibility for tumorigenicity in animals, the producer advises that a decision should be made to stop nursing or cease the drug, taking into consideration the significance of the drug to the mom. Other makers recommend exercising caution when used in nursing women.