Pattern of Drug Use During the First Trimester Among Chinese Women: Data from a Population-based Cohort Study

Overview

Journal Eur J Clin Pharmacol

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2010 Feb 4

PMID 20127231

Citations 9

Authors

Xiaoming Zhu

Xiuyu Qi

Jiahu Hao

Zhaohui Huang

Zhihua Zhang

Xiuya Xing

Daijuan Cheng

Limin Xiao

Yuanyuan Xu

Peng Zhu

Fangbiao Tao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aim: To describe the pattern of drug use among Chinese women during the first trimester and to examine the impact of maternal diseases on the choice of drugs.

Method: This drug utilisation study of pregnant women was performed using data from the ABCD cohort study. A total of 4,290 women were enrolled in the analysis. Information was collected by self-completion questionnaire combined with the "Maternal health handbook".

Results: Of the 4,290 women interviewed, 75.9% of women took at least one drug during the first trimester. Users took a mean number of 1.43 drugs. The most frequently used drugs were folic acid (65.2%), vitamins (14.6%), calcium (12.0%), minerals (11.1%), Chinese traditional patent medicine (CTPM; 10.1%) and anti-infectives (6.5%). Among the women having used CTPM, influenza/cold and threatened abortion were the most commonly reported indications. Logistic regression analysis of drug use (excluding nutritional and haematological drugs) shows that CTPM and Western medicine are both associated with the use of drugs for occasional diseases and against threatened abortion. Maternal chronic diseases were not associated with the use of CTPM.

Conclusion: This analysis of pregnant women showed that drugs were prescribed to most women, even when nutritional and haematological drugs were excluded. Our data reflect, except for drugs used for chronic diseases, a general reluctance among Chinese women to use Western medicine and resorting to CTPM during pregnancy.

Citing Articles

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