Call for Enhancing Pregnant Women’s Knowledge Regarding Teratogenic Medications and Most Common Drugs That Cause Congenital Anomalies

Research Abstract

Background: Self-medication presents serious health risks for pregnant women and their fetuses, warranting global concern. Historical incidents, like the thalidomide crisis, emphasize the importance of evaluating the risks tied to medication use during pregnancy. Aim: The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational program on enhancing pregnant women’s knowledge regarding teratogenic medications and the most common drugs that cause congenital anomalies. Subjects and Methods: Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Sample and Settings: A convenient sample of 358 pregnant women was used at outpatient clinics at Beba Hospital, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Beni-Suef Governorate. Tools: Tool 1: A structured interview questionnaire. Tool 2: Women’s knowledge regarding congenital anomalies and the drug that causes women to fill out a questionnaire sheet. Tool 3: A questionnaire sheet assessing women’s knowledge about the most common drugs that cause congenital anomalies. Results: reveal that 46.6% of women had previous births through cesarean section and 27.4% had normal vaginal births; 70.9%, 63.1%, and 67.3% of women had correct knowledge of medication, prescription, and current use. Additionally, 46.9% and 47.8% of women had correct knowledge about congenital malformations and medications that do not cause anomalies. Moreover, the study revealed that 86.3% of women had inadequate knowledge about congenital anomalies and their causes, which regressed to 17.0% posttest and 21.8% posttest, respectively. Conclusion: The study also showed improvements in understanding common drugs that cause congenital anomalies, such as Imodium, Anabril, and clonazepam, which improved posttest. Additionally, the study found that pregnant women with correct knowledge of medication and congenital anomalies during pregnancy showed significant improvement posttest. The posttest significantly improved compared to the pretest. Recommendation: Collaborate with public health organizations to implement national awareness programs focusing on educating pregnant women about teratogenic medications and offering resources for safer pregnancy practices.

Research Keywords

Enhancing, Knowledge, Teratogenic Medications, Drugs, Congenital Anomalies.